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Category: Education

  • MIL-Evening Report: Freddy Krueger at 40 – the ultimate horror movie monster (and Halloween costume)

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Daniel, Associate Lecturer in Communications, Western Sydney University

    IMDB/New Line Cinema

    Movie monsters have captivated audiences since the days of early cinema. They evoke fascination and terror, allowing audiences to confront their fears from the safety of the movie theatre or living room.

    Arguably one of the most enduring and captivating of these monsters is Freddy Krueger, the villain of the A Nightmare on Elm Street series who celebrates his 40th screen birthday this November.

    Memorably played by Robert Englund, Freddy quickly became a cultural icon of the 1980s and 1990s. Beyond his burned face and iconic bladed glove, Freddy’s dark humour and acidic personality set him apart from other silent, faceless killers of the era, such as Michael Myers in Halloween or Jason Vorhees in Friday the 13th.

    Written and directed by horror maven Wes Craven, 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street garnered positive reviews for its innovative concept: Freddy stalked and attacked his victims in their dreams, making him inescapable and allowing him to tap into their deepest fears. The series (seven films plus a 2010 remake and Freddy vs. Jason spin offs) blended supernatural horror and surrealism with a dark and twisted sense of humour.

    Scary … but funny

    Humour was key to Freddy’s “popularity”. Both sinister and strangely charismatic, Freddy’s psychological torture of his adolescent victims often oscillated between terrifying and amusing.

    A famous kill scene from 1987’s A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors demonstrates this paradox.

    Aspiring actress Jennifer drifts off to sleep while watching a talk show on TV. In her dream, the host of the talk show suddenly transforms into Freddy, who attacks his guest before the TV blinks out. When Jennifer timidly approaches the TV set, Freddy’s head and clawed hands emerge from the device, snatching her while delivering an iconic one-liner: “This is it, Jennifer – your big break in TV!”

    Freddy turns his victims’ fears or aspirations – their dreams – against them.

    ‘Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep.’

    Creating a monster

    Craven has shared how the character of Krueger came to life in Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy, an oral history of the series.

    He described a childhood experience of seeing a strange mumbling man walking past his childhood home. The man stopped, he said, and looked directly at him “with a sick sense of malice”. This deeply unsettling experience helped shape Freddy’s menacing presence.

    The character’s creation also emerged from the filmmaker’s interest in numerous reports of Southeast Asian refugees dying in their sleep after experiencing vivid nightmares.

    In the film, Krueger’s origin story reveals him as a child murderer who was apprehended but released due to a technicality in his arrest. Seeking justice, the parents of his victims take matters into their own hands, and form a vigilante mob. They corner him in his boiler room and burn him alive. But Freddy’s spirit survives to haunt and kill the children of his executioners.



    Read more:
    Halloween films: the good, the bad and the truly scary

    Cultural repression, expressed on film

    Film critic and essayist Robin Wood argued horror films often bring to the surface elements society has repressed. These fears, desires, or cultural taboos are not openly acknowledged.

    But movie monsters act as manifestations of what society suppresses, such as sexuality, violence or deviant behaviour. American academic Gary Heba argues Freddy is:

    an example of America’s political unconscious violently unleashed upon itself, manifesting everything that is unspeakable and repressed in the master narrative (perversion, child abuse and murder, vigilantism, the breakdown of rationality, order, and the family, among others), but still always present in the collective unconscious of the dominant culture.

    Actor Robert Englund calls Freddy Krueger ‘the gift that keeps on giving’.

    The monster decades

    The 1970s and 1980s marked a golden era for the creation of horror film nasties like Krueger, Myers, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s Leatherface and killer doll Chucky.

    Since then, the landscape of horror has shifted, with fewer singular monsters emerging. The diversification of horror sub-genres (zombie virus horror, anyone?), the rise of psychological horror (Hereditary), and an emphasis on human-driven terror (Wolf Creek) or supernatural forces all contribute to this shift.

    While modern horror continues to thrive, few characters have achieved the same iconic status as Freddy – although some would argue Art the Clown from the recent Terrifier franchise and the reinvigorated Pennywise from IT could join this exclusive group.

    ‘Five, six, grab your crucifix.’ A 2010 Nightmare on Elm St reboot failed to fire.

    Happy Halloween!

    Despite a failed reboot in 2010, the legacy of A Nightmare on Elm Street is strong, having influenced numerous filmmakers with its skilful mix of surrealism and slasher horror.

    However, it’s the orchestrator of the titular nightmares whose legacy is perhaps the strongest.

    With each Halloween, new fans choose Freddy for their costume. All it takes is a tattered striped sweater, a brown fedora hat, and a glove with sharp, finger-lengthening blades. Don’t forget makeup to re-create Krueger’s grisly facial burns. Sweet dreams!

    Adam Daniel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Freddy Krueger at 40 – the ultimate horror movie monster (and Halloween costume) – https://theconversation.com/freddy-krueger-at-40-the-ultimate-horror-movie-monster-and-halloween-costume-240905

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What is necro-branding? And what’s it got to do with Elvis, Princess Diana and Taylor Swift?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Baumann, Professor in Business, Macquarie University

    bissig/Shutterstock

    Do you own any memorabilia depicting Elvis, Princess Diana, David Bowie, Prince or Michael Jackson? Perhaps a beloved t-shirt, a favourite mug, a special keyring or a novelty plate? You might not know it, but you are participating in something known as “necro-branding”.

    Necro-branding is where the image of a celebrity is sold to the public, perhaps by their estate or by their fans, long after the celebrity has died.

    These necro-branded items act almost like talismans, helping us preserve the past and remind us of an era long gone.

    Necro-branding is also shaping up to be a multibillion-dollar industry. Even the stars of today – such as Taylor Swift – will inevitably one day become the necro-brands of tomorrow.

    And with the astonishingly rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), we can expect celebrities’ images to be “reincarnated” even more in the future, and their legacies extended far beyond death.

    Necro-branding is everywhere

    As colleagues and I argued in our recent paper in the journal Celebrity Studies, the quintessential necro-branded celebrity is Elvis Presley.

    From Elvis impersonators to countless items of Elvis memorabilia, the Elvis brand has only increased after the star’s death. Elvis-themed postage stamps issued by the US Postal Service reportedly became the top-selling commemorative postage stamps of all time. He’s also appeared on stamps issued by countries all around the world, such as the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi.

    As we explain in our recent paper:

    At the time of his death, Elvis was worth an estimated US$5 million dollars ($40  million in today’s terms), but by 2022, it was estimated that Elvis Presley Enterprises has a net worth of between $400 million and $500 million. The use of his image on merchandise and memorabilia contributes to the continuation of his legacy.

    And it’s not just necro-branding marketed to older fans; younger generations are also a target with Elvis marketing.

    Think, for example, of the stratospherically successful early-2000s dance track version of A Little Less Conversation, by Dutch musician Junkie XL. Or, for instance, of the way Elvis tracks are woven throughout the Disney animated movie Lilo and Stitch.

    Of course, Elvis is not the only necro-branded celebrity. David Bowie, Prince, Michael Jackson, John Lennon and Johnny Cash are other obvious examples, with countless pieces of merchandise bearing their images. Their brand value has increased once the star has passed away.

    Deceased royals – such as Princess Diana and, more recently, Queen Elizabeth – are another obvious example, especially because living royals already enjoy such massive brand values.

    Necro-branding works because of the deep connection fans feel with celebrities. One study of fans of NBA basketballer Kobe Bryant found that as fans’ grief and shock waned, other stronger emotional responses, such as love, actually increased.

    Another 2024 study analysing fans of Johnny Cash and John Lennon suggested that fans acted “religiously” in honouring the memories of these beloved musicians.

    Marilyn Monroe is another heavily necro-branded celebrity. As we argue in our recent paper

    Her brand has shown strong durability in terms of earnings and is now licensed to the same management group that owns the bulk of the Elvis brand, Authentic Brands Group (ABG). Monroe often made the top ten list of earners in the Dead Celebrities List from 2001 to 2008.

    Necro-branding and AI

    AI already plays a pivotal role in branding of celebrities, alive and dead, and will no doubt be used more in future to extend the marketability of today’s celebrities.

    Think, for instance, of the way some of the recordings from the past are imperfect. Elvis footage from the 1970s often has good sound quality, but the actual video footage reflects the technology of the time.

    While this can be partially rectified with remastering, future AI-powered technology will allow entire reproductions of shows, with all imperfections removed.

    Perhaps, many decades from now, an AI-generated version of Taylor Swift will be performing for fans of that era. Whole personas can be altered to meet the demands of different generations of fans, maintaining their legacy indefinitely.

    Brand new songs can be performed by a necro-celebrity who never actually sang them, or songs from other entertainers (dead or alive) can be performed by the avatar of a dead singer.

    AI has already been used to create a version of the song Barbie Girl sung in the “voice” of Johnny Cash, alongside a medley of other pop hits.

    A whole new frontier

    Even if you’re new to the term, you’re already part of the necro-branding market. And there is more to come once AI advances and consumers can no longer distinguish between fake and real.

    The lines will become blurry, as the branding of necro-celebrities become a whole new frontier for marketing and AI develops ever faster and better.

    Joanne Soviner, a year 12 student at North Sydney Girls High School, contributed to this article.

    Chris Baumann does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. What is necro-branding? And what’s it got to do with Elvis, Princess Diana and Taylor Swift? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-necro-branding-and-whats-it-got-to-do-with-elvis-princess-diana-and-taylor-swift-240989

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why is my kid using a baby voice? How can I manage it?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Westrupp, Associate Professor in Psychology, Deakin University

    MIA Studio/ Shutterstock

    Pweeeeese! I want cwacker!

    If you’ve ever found yourself cringing when your child suddenly starts talking in a high-pitched, baby-like voice, you’re not alone.

    Many parents and caregivers find this behaviour jarring — and yes, a little bit annoying.

    Why do older children sometimes revert to baby talk? And what can you do to manage it?

    Why do kids use a baby voice?

    Children may revert to speaking like a baby when they are seeking comfort, affection and reassurance.

    For children, being a baby reminds them of a time when they were safe, and all their needs were taken care of. When they revert to using a baby voice, they are signalling to us they’re feeling vulnerable, tired, stressed, uncertain or overwhelmed, and are wanting more connection and practical help from us.

    Most regressions are normal, and very common. In fact, healthy learning and development is never perfectly linear. This is reflected in nature, where there are cycles of rapid growth followed by periods of rest and dormancy. After a burst of development, children can be tired, or miss having the same level of support from us.

    Children are also more likely to use a baby voice when they’re managing a change or stressful life event. For example, the birth of a new baby in the family, starting school, moving house, or parents separating, are common times when children need more support.

    Using baby talk could be a sign your child is feeling stressed or vulnerable.
    Fizkes/Shutterstock

    Help! Why is a baby voice so annoying?

    As parents and carers, it can be confusing and grating when our older, capable child seems to be moving backwards in development, and using a voice they used many years ago.

    Parents might associate a baby voice with neediness, or immaturity, and feel anxious about what this means for their child’s development.

    In the past, this behaviour was viewed as a problem.

    So the advice was to ignore it and only respond when children use their normal voice. However, this can can create shame in our child and make them afraid to express their feelings and needs.

    If your child is using a baby voice, they may need more comforting and attention.
    Media_Photos/ Shutterstock

    Tips for managing baby voice

    Developmentally, there’s no problem with children occasionally using a baby voice, so we don’t need to try to stop this behaviour.

    Instead, we can be curious. What might be happening for our child?

    1. Acknowledge their feelings: we can empathise with, validate and accept our child’s underlying emotions. And then try to meet their need for safety and connection. We might say:

    Oh my love, sounds like you’re finding everything hard today, and can’t manage putting your shoes on? Are you feeling tired?

    2. Meet their needs: if they’re wanting extra help or connection, we should give it. We can think of this as a “refuelling” pit stop – they might need a little extra care as they manage their current stage of development, or cope with a change. We can say:

    I’d love to help you put your shoes on, let’s do it together. How about you do the socks, and I’ll tie your laces?

    Remember, providing extra help doesn’t mean you’ll always have to do so. Children have a natural drive towards skill development and independence. When they have the energy, they’ll want to keep practising their skills.

    3. Be kind to yourself: if your child’s baby voice is getting on your nerves, it’s understandable, and normal. Providing extra care can be taxing, and sometimes it’s hard to find that extra energy. We can remind our child that we all need rest.

    I hear you’re so tired today and want my help. The problem is I’m feeling so tired too! I wonder if we can help each other? Can we start with a big cuddle?

    4. If in doubt, seek help: if your child shows other signs of developmental regression for more than two weeks, talk to your GP.

    Depending on age, this might include lost skills related to language and communication, walking and balance, self-care (such as dressing, toileting), sleeping, or becoming more clingy, having meltdowns and losing interest in interacting or playing with others.

    Elizabeth Westrupp receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. She is affiliated with the Parenting and Family Research Alliance, and is a registered clinical psychologist.

    – ref. Why is my kid using a baby voice? How can I manage it? – https://theconversation.com/why-is-my-kid-using-a-baby-voice-how-can-i-manage-it-240436

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: You can keep your ghosts and ghouls – the ‘Cordyceps’ fungus creates real-life zombies

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne

    annguyen87, Shutterstock

    I have never really been interested in ghosts, mummies or zombies, not even at Halloween. But as October 31 approaches each year I am reminded of a biological tale involving all three. It’s the real-life horror story of a flesh-eating, brain-warping fungus from the genus Cordyceps, which inspired the zombie-apocalypse video game and TV series The Last of Us.

    Worldwide, there are hundreds of species of Cordyceps. Most of them prey on insects. They’re famous for hijacking the brains of some ants. Once the fungus takes over, it directs the ant to climb to a high point on a plant and then bite down on the stem or twig in a macabre death grip. The reproductive structures of this parasitic fungus will soon burst out of the ant’s head, spreading its spores to infect another unsuspecting host.

    But the species with which I am most familiar (Cordyceps gunnii) doesn’t attack ants – it parasitises insects such as rather large “ghost” caterpillars. This species doesn’t force its victims to climb, but takes control when they are buried in the soil.

    You might spot a grotesque-looking dead caterpillar pushing up through the earth as if rising from the grave, with a large fungal growth emerging from its head. Some are about the size of an adult finger, but cream and dark brown in colour. It is truly a thing that could trigger nightmares.

    ‘Zombie’ Parasite Cordyceps Fungus Takes Over Insects Through Mind Control | National Geographic.

    Consuming the ghostly host

    Unsuspecting insects become infected with Cordyceps when they eat them by mistake, or when spores attach to their bodies.

    The caterpillar of the Australian ghost moth (Abantiades labrynthicus) tends to burrow straight down into the soil to graze on roots of gum trees and some other species related to eucalypts. So it probably picks up the fungus as it burrows into the earth. The fungus then penetrates the exoskeleton or digestive tract of the insect with a thin, needle-like tube.

    Once inside the caterpillar, the fungus starts to grow rapidly. It produces very fine threads (hyphae) that spread through the body of the insect, replacing its structure. The fungus expands to fill the available space, assuming ultimate control. Exactly how the fungus takes control of the insect brain is not fully understood, but we know the fungus produces a range of chemicals that influence the brain in a way that meets the environmental and reproductive needs of the fungus.

    The caterpillar is doomed as soon as the fungus starts to grow inside it. After being taken over by another life form, the zombie caterpillar dies. All of this happens out of sight, under the soil surface.

    But Cordyceps is not done with the caterpillar just yet. It consumes all the resources the insect can offer, then pushes antler-like reproductive structures out through the caterpillar’s head. These spore-producing structures can be more than 10cm long. They’re clearly visible above ground, but can be hard to spot as they look a bit like a twig. Wind carries the spores to infect more unwary caterpillars.

    These fungus-filled caterpillars are now fully mummified. Nothing remains of the caterpillar but a brittle exoskeleton.

    As the reproductive structures dry and wither, they gently tug on the mummy to which they are still attached. If the soil is dry, the now empty exoskeleton of the caterpillar emerges from its hole. As it does so, the fungal reproductive structures are often lost and all you see remaining is the empty husk.

    The Last of Us: Could it happen? Infectious disease doctor explains cordyceps (UC Davis Health).

    Half animal, half vegetable

    Members of the genus Cordyceps boast the unusual common name of vegetable caterpillars. This strange name comes from a belief, which persisted until the 1800s, that the caterpillars had somehow transformed from insects to fungi, or from animal to plant.

    This was a much debated and widely written about example of transmutation, a theory that was not uncommon in pre-Darwinian times. It was not until the early 1900s that the true, full and gruesome nature of the relationship between Cordyceps and its insect victims was revealed.

    On the lookout for Cordyceps

    Cordyceps gunnii is the most commonly seen species of vegetable caterpillar in southeastern Australia, found in several states.

    Another less conspicuous species, the fawn vegetable caterpillar, Cordyceps hawkesii, occurs along Autralia’s east coast, often under wattles, but is even harder to see. Naturalists hunting for this vegetable caterpillar often find they have already inadvertently trampled over it before they spot it.

    Yet another species, Cordyceps taylori, can also be regularly seen emerging from large ghost moth caterpillars in Victoria. When the husks of these dead, mummified caterpillars appear to emerge from their holes in the ground, they look particularly striking.

    The classification of these vegetable caterpillar fungi is still being debated by experts. It is likely not all are closely related. Some are now placed in a new genus, Ophiocordyceps, but regardless of the name, they are all capable of making zombies and mummies of their victims.

    You can join in the process of hunting for and mapping these elusive species through citizen science projects such as he Great Aussie Fungi Hunt or iNaturalist Australia.

    Traditional medicines and the vegetable caterpillar

    As Halloween approaches, you may be wondering whether humans need worry about being zombified and mummified by Cordyceps fungi. Could the naturalists hunting the vegetable caterpillars become the hunted? The answer is a resounding no. In fact, the opposite is true – these macabre creatures have a long history in traditional medicine.

    Cordyceps sinensis, a Chinese vegetable caterpillar very similar to C. gunnii, has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. Modern research shows there may be benefits from its use (or extracts from it) in treatments associated with autoimmune responses. While the fungus has been cultivated for about 40 years, naturally growing, wild fungi can be very expensive as they are still relatively rare and difficult to find. A kilogram can retail for A$30,000, driving a fungal gold rush across the Himalayas.

    Members of the genus Coryceps, or more correctly the Ophiocordyceps genus, have been around for more than 45 million years. Despite their depiction in The Last of Us, humans have nothing to worry about. The fungi are quite particular about their victims. But if you are a certain species of ant or ghost moth, then Halloween may take on a whole new meaning.

    Gregory Moore does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. You can keep your ghosts and ghouls – the ‘Cordyceps’ fungus creates real-life zombies – https://theconversation.com/you-can-keep-your-ghosts-and-ghouls-the-cordyceps-fungus-creates-real-life-zombies-241901

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Gender is playing a crucial role in this US election – and it’s not just about Kamala Harris

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol Johnson, Emerita Professor, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Adelaide

    Having a female presidential candidate has made gender obvious in this US presidential election, even to many who normally neglect its role. The specific contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, along with the prominence of issues such as abortion, has resulted in a particularly large gender voting gap. Far more women have consistently indicated support for Harris and far more men for Trump.

    However, gender has always been crucial in US presidential elections, not just because of gender voting patterns but because competing performances of masculinity have always played a major role.

    Role of masculinity in 2020 election

    The last presidential election saw Joe Biden’s form of kind and caring protective masculinity being explicitly contrasted with Trump’s divisive, hyper-masculine one.

    Furthermore, strong male leaders are meant to protect the people from physical, social and economic harm. I have argued that one factor that contributed to Trump’s 2020 electoral defeat was a protective masculinity failure, especially in regard to COVID.

    For example, former President Barack Obama argued that, unlike Biden, Trump could not be counted on to protect Americans:

    Eight months into this pandemic, new cases are breaking records. Donald Trump isn’t going to suddenly protect all of us. He can’t even take the basic steps to protect himself […]. Joe understands […] that the first job of a president is to keep us safe from all threats: domestic, foreign, and microscopic.

    Trump’s re-energised protective masculinity

    However, since his 2020 electoral defeat, Trump has resurrected himself as a strong masculine protector. He claims that “our enemies” are trying to use legal charges to take away his freedom and silence him because he “will always stand” in the way of their attempt to silence the American people and take away their freedom.

    He will also be a vengeful protector, declaring:

    I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed: I am your retribution. I will totally obliterate the deep state.

    Trump has long appealed to men who feel that traditional masculinity, and its related entitlements, are under threat.

    He is currently courting white males, the youth manosphere, “techno bros”, “crypto bros”, conservative male unionists threatened by globalisation and offshoring, and conservative black and Latino men.

    He has been explicitly mobilising misogyny, including by making lewd references to Harris. JD Vance has assisted Trump’s efforts.

    Nonetheless, Trump claims that he will be a strong male protector of women, protecting them from illegal immigrants, crime, foreign threats and other anxieties:

    You will be protected and I will be your protector. Women will be happy, healthy, confident and free.

    Trump has even promised that, as a result, women “will no longer be thinking about abortion.” This is all despite his own alleged history of sexual assault.

    Harris, gender and the women’s vote

    By 2024, Biden’s apparent physical and cognitive decline meant that he was no longer a convincing masculine protector (or viable ongoing presidential candidate).

    The choice of Harris as his replacement candidate had advantages, but it was also a gamble given the combined roles of gender and race. After all, despite the long history of US racism, it still proved easier to elect a black man (Obama) to the presidency than a white woman (Hillary Clinton).

    However, the women’s vote is particularly important this election. As well as Harris’ appeal to younger and black women, Democrats have emphasised the importance of her appeal to white women, including some who previously voted Republican. Anti-Trump Republicans such as Liz Cheney are assisting Harris in appealing to the latter.

    Issues such as abortion are crucial. The overturning of Roe v Wade abortion rights, enabled by Trump stacking the Supreme Court, also puts IVF at risk by not clarifying when life begins (with implications for frozen embryos). Senate Republicans have twice blocked a vote on a Democrat-led bill designed to protect IVF. Harris has pledged to sign a law protecting abortion rights (if Congress passes it).

    Trump claims he supports IVF, won’t bring in a national ban on abortion and believes in abortion “exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother”.

    However, Trump Republicans are courting, and influenced by, the American religious right on abortion. There aren’t such exceptions in several Republican states, as Harris’s heartrending accounts of the impact on women and their health reveals. Furthermore, Missouri, Kansas and Idaho are also trying to drastically reduce legal access to the abortion drug mifepristone.

    Harris also emphasises other issues of particular significance for women, such as affordable childcare and better pay for care workers.

    Harris and “tonic” masculinity

    Given the role of competing masculinities in US presidential elections, Harris’ campaign has intentionally appealed to a very different form of protective masculinity from Trump’s.

    Vice presidential candidate, Tim Walz’s, “America’s dad” image (of being a warm, caring but sports loving coach, national guard serving, gun owning, hunter) is used to contrast his “tonic masculinity” with Trump’s “toxic” masculinity. Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, is depicted as a supportive “wife-guy” who has “reshaped the perception of masculinity” (while strongly denying allegations he once slapped a woman).

    Despite conservative claims of men being economically left behind, the Biden/Harris administration argues it has revitalised manufacturing and male jobs along with it and Harris will continue to do so. Meanwhile, Obama has urged black men to get behind Harris and the Harris campaign has highlighted its policies benefiting black men.

    Can Harris mobilise protective femininity?

    Given the major role of gender in US presidential elections, a key issue is whether Harris can successfully evoke a caring, motherly, protective femininity that promises security and economic benefits to voters and helps to counter Trump’s protective masculinity.

    Other women politicians have been able to (for example, Germany’s Angela Merkel). Women leaders particularly mobilised protective femininity during the COVID health crisis (for example, New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern). However, it always seemed likely masculinist leadership stereotypes would re-emerge once the economy needed rebuilding after the pandemic.

    Harris has pledged she will “create an opportunity economy” and “protect our fundamental rights and freedoms, including the right of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do”. She promises to be the kind of president “who cares about you and is not putting themselves first”. Whether such electoral pitches are successful remains to be seen.

    Why the outcome of this election is crucial for gender equality.

    A woman US president is long overdue after 46 male ones. A Trump victory would have major implications for abortion, IVF and women’s rights generally, including progress on the Biden/Harris National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality. Immigrant and black women will be particularly vulnerable. A Trump victory would also have major implications for which models of masculinity are publicly endorsed.

    A Trump victory would embolden conservative so-called anti-gender ideology campaigns. The Trump campaign has recently spent US $21 million (A$31.9 million) on ads associating Harris with LGBTIQ+ equality, especially transgender rights.

    The Trump campaign asserts that “Kamala’s for they/them. President Trump is for you.” While Trump has also pledged that “we will get critical race theory and transgender insanity the hell out of our schools.”

    A Trump victory will influence the future US economy, including risking increasing gender inequality in an Elon Musk-style unregulated technopoly.

    Finally, academic commentators have drawn attention to the way in which socially conservative views on gender have been mobilised to support new forms of authoritarian regimes in Europe and elsewhere.

    In short, this presidential election is a crucial one for the American people generally, but for the female half of the population in particular.

    Carol Johnson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Gender is playing a crucial role in this US election – and it’s not just about Kamala Harris – https://theconversation.com/gender-is-playing-a-crucial-role-in-this-us-election-and-its-not-just-about-kamala-harris-242113

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong rank among top 10 innovation cities globally: report

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong rank among the world’s top 10 innovation cities, alongside other cities from the United States, Britain and Japan, according to a recently released assessment report on sci-tech innovation.
    The report, published on Friday, was compiled by the Shenzhen International Science and Technology Information Center, the Center for Industrial Development and Environmental Governance of Tsinghua University, and research publishing and information analytics company Elsevier, the Science and Technology Daily reported on Saturday.
    The report is based on the collaborative development index of education, sci-tech and talent, and offers an in-depth evaluation of 30 cities around the world. It aims to provide insights into global urban innovation and development trends and highlights the strength of cities in science and technology innovation.
    The top 10 innovation cities are Boston, San Francisco, Beijing, London, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
    In terms of education, Boston, London and Hong Kong rank as the top three, while London, Beijing, Shanghai and New York are cities with relatively balanced development in both basic and higher education.
    From the perspective of innovation, San Francisco, Boston and Beijing are the top three cities. The report suggests that strengthening the innovation ecosystem, including enhancing the economic foundation, promoting the integration of industry, academia and research, boosting scientific infrastructure, and fostering cross-regional cooperation, is crucial for Chinese cities to enhance their innovation capabilities.
    In terms of talent development, five cities from the United States and five from China, which include Beijing, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shanghai, rank in the top 10.
    According to the report, Chinese cities such as Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Shanghai also demonstrate exceptional performance in talent potential, reflecting strong momentum in talent development.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Vanuatu AG condemns Trump’s Paris climate treaty exit as ‘troubling precedent’

    By Harry Pearl of BenarNews

    Vanuatu’s top lawyer has called out the United States for “bad behavior” after newly inaugurated President Donald Trump withdrew the world’s biggest historic emitter of greenhouse gasses from the Paris Agreement for a second time.

    The Pacific nation’s Attorney-General Arnold Loughman, who led Vanuatu’s landmark International Court of Justice climate case at The Hague last month, said the withdrawal represented an “undeniable setback” for international action on global warming.

    “The Paris Agreement remains key to the world’s efforts to combat climate change and respond to its effects, and the participation of major economies like the US is crucial,” he told BenarNews in a statement.

    The withdrawal could also set a “troubling precedent” regarding the accountability of rich nations that are disproportionately responsible for global warming, said Loughman.

    “At the same time, the US’ bad behavior could inspire resolve on behalf of developed countries to act more responsibly to try and safeguard the international rule of law,” he said.

    “Ultimately, the whole world stands to lose if the international legal framework is allowed to erode.”

    Vanuatu’s Attorney-General Arnold Loughman at the International Court of Justice last month . . . “The whole world stands to lose if the international legal framework is allowed to erode.” Image: ICJ-CIJ

    Trump’s announcement on Monday came less than two weeks after scientists confirmed that 2024 was the hottest year on record and the first in which average temperatures exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

    Agreed to ‘pursue efforts’
    Under the Paris Agreement adopted in 2015, leaders agreed to “pursue efforts” to limit warming under the 1.5°C threshold or, failing that, keep rises “well below” 2°C  by the end of the century.

    Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said on Wednesday in a brief comment that Trump’s action would “force us to rethink our position” but the US president must do “what is in the best interest of the United States of America”.

    Other Pacific leaders and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) regional intergovernmental body have not responded to BenarNews requests for comment.

    The forum — comprising 18 Pacific states and territories — in its 2018 Boe Declaration said: “Climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific and [we reaffirm] our commitment to progress the implementation of the Paris Agreement.”

    Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka speaks at the opening of the new Nabouwalu Water Treatment Plant this week . . . Trump’s action would “force us to rethink our position”. Image: Fiji govt

    Trump’s executive order sparked dismay and criticism in the Pacific, where the impacts of a warming planet are already being felt in the form of more intense storms and rising seas.

    Jacynta Fa’amau, regional Pacific campaigner with environmental group 350 Pacific, said the withdrawal would be a diplomatic setback for the US.

    “The climate crisis has for a long time now been our greatest security threat, especially to the Pacific,” she told BenarNews.

    A clear signal
    “This withdrawal from the agreement is a clear signal about how much the US values the survival of Pacific nations and all communities on the front lines.”

    New Zealand’s former Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio, said that if the US withdrew from its traditional leadership roles in multilateral organisations China would fill the gap.

    “Some people may not like how China plays its role,” wrote the former Labour MP on Facebook. “But when the great USA withdraws from these global organisations . . . it just means China can now go about providing global leadership.”

    Analysts and former White House advisers told BenarNews last year that climate change could be a potential “flashpoint” between Pacific nations and a second Trump administration at a time of heightened geopolitical competition with China.

    Trump’s announcement was not unexpected. During his first term he withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement, only for former President Joe Biden to promptly rejoin in 2021.

    The latest withdrawal puts the US, the world’s largest historic emitter of greenhouse gases, alongside only Iran, Libya and Yemen outside the climate pact.

    In his executive order, Trump said the US would immediately begin withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and from any other commitments made under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

    US also ending climate finance
    The US would also end its international climate finance programme to developing countries — a blow to small Pacific island states that already struggle to obtain funding for resilience and mitigation.

    Press releases by the Biden administration were removed from the White House website immediately after President Donald Trump’s inauguration. Image: White House website/Screen capture on Monday

    A fact sheet published by the Biden administration on November 17, which has now been removed from the White House website, said that US international climate finance reached more than US$11 billion in 2024.

    Loughman said the cessation of climate finance payments was particularly concerning for the Pacific region.

    “These funds are essential for building resilience and supporting adaptation strategies,” he said. “Losing this support could severely hinder ongoing and future projects aimed at protecting our vulnerable ecosystems and communities.”

    George Carter, deputy head of the Department of Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University and member of the COP29 Scientific Council, said at the centre of the Biden administration’s re-engagement with the South Pacific was a regional programme on climate adaptation.

    “While the majority of climate finance that flows through the Pacific comes from Australia, Japan, European Union, New Zealand — then the United States — the climate networks and knowledge production from the US to the Pacific are substantial,” he said.

    Sala George Carter (third from right) hosted a panel discussion at COP29 highlighting key challenges Indigenous communities face from climate change last November. Image: Sera Sefeti/BenarNews

    Climate actions plans
    Pacific island states, like all other signatories to the Paris Agreement, will this year be submitting Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs, outlining their climate action plans for the next five years.

    “All climate actions, policies and activities are conditional on international climate finance,” Carter said.

    Pacific island nations are being disproportionately affected by climate change despite contributing just 0.02 percent of global emissions, according to a UN report released last year.

    Low-lying islands are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme weather events like cyclones, floods and marine heatwaves, which are projected to occur more frequently this century as a result of higher average global temperatures.

    On January 10, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) confirmed that last year for the first time the global mean temperature tipped over 1.5°C above the 1850-1900 average.

    WMO experts emphasised that a single year of more than 1.5°C does not mean that the world has failed to meet long-term temperature goals, which are measured over decades, but added that “leaders must act — now” to avert negative impacts.

    Harry Pearl is a BenarNews journalist. This article was first published by BenarNews and is republished at Asia Pacific Report with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Address to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    I acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, on whose traditional lands we meet, and pay respect to all First Nations people here today.

    Economist John Crawford started his public service career in the 1940s working under Nugget Coombs in the Department of Post‑War Reconstruction (Miller 2007, Uhr 2006).

    After taking a strong interest in agriculture, tariffs and trade in his academic studies, Crawford became the director of the Department’s rural and regional planning divisions (Powell & Macintyre 2015).

    Those planning divisions evolved into the Bureau of Agricultural Economics which would serve as the Commonwealth agency responsible for examining proposals for settling returned soldiers on productive farms.

    With Crawford as the inaugural director, the Bureau would assess ‘the suitability of climate and soil, the adequacy of the farm areas and likely economic viability of the farms’ (Powell & Macintyre 2015).

    It was a significant task because no one wanted to repeat the costly mistakes of the 1920s where nearly 12,000 soldier settlers abandoned their farms within a few years.

    But Crawford saw greater potential for the Bureau.

    He proposed broader functions such as studies on the outlook for primary industries, land use investigations and research to promote certain commodities (Powell & Macintyre 2015).

    The Bureau of Agricultural Economics, Crawford and its broader functions transferred to the Department of Commerce and Agriculture in 1946.

    Through various departmental leadership roles, Crawford went on to be one of the great public administrators of his generation.

    John Crawford is the only economist ever to be recognised as the Australian of the Year, winning the award in 1981 for his work as ‘one of the foremost architects of Australia’s post‑war growth’ (Australian of the Year n.d) (I can’t help noting in passing that we’re probably due for another economist to take the top gong).

    Meanwhile, the Bureau has broadened its economic knowledge base and has added names to its title over the years as it merged with other research agencies (ABARES n.d).

    Some 80 years and dozens of outlook conferences later, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences continues to uphold John Crawford’s best traditions.

    In his words, providing a ‘fact‑finding service’ and providing ‘the material and critical analyses of problems with which policy can be better made’ (Crawford 1952).

    Recognising the ongoing importance of your work, our government announced additional funding in last year’s Budget to help:

    • improve regional data sources
    • collect information on low‑emissions technology, and
    • examine the effect of emissions policies on agriculture and regions (DAFF 2023).

    Concentrating on competition in agriculture

    As a kid who attended an agricultural high school, I’ve always been fascinated by farming. But competition is my primary reason for being here today.

    Since at least the days of Adam Smith, economists have spruiked the virtues of competition (Leigh 2022).

    Industries with plenty of competitors tend to deliver better prices, more choices and stronger productivity growth.

    Uncompetitive markets tend to deliver higher prices, lower wages, less choice, and less innovation. A lack of competition leads to problems that can be difficult to undo.

    Today, I will talk about one problem that has only become worse in the recent decades: market concentration.

    When I took on the competition portfolio, a friend issued me a challenge: ‘How many Australian industries can you name that are not dominated by a few big firms?’ (Leigh 2024a).

    It’s a tough ask.

    Applying the rule of thumb that a market is concentrated if the largest 4 firms control one‑third or more, research by Adam Triggs and I found over half of the industries in the Australian economy are concentrated markets (Leigh & Triggs 2016).

    Indeed, many people asked to take on my friend’s challenge might well answer ‘farming’. And it turns out that for many commodities – though not all – farming is quite competitive.

    A straightforward source of market concentration data are the annual industry estimates produced by IBIS World. They estimate the market share of the top 4 firms for several hundred industries.

    A round‑up of IBIS World data on the market share of the largest 4 companies in parts of the agricultural supply chain shows farmers are often caught in the middle.

    Upstream, farmers deal with concentrated markets for their inputs.

    The largest 4 companies in fertiliser manufacturing in Australia have a combined market share of 62 per cent (IBIS World 2024a).

    The largest 4 in hardware and building supplies retailing control about 49 per cent of the market (IBIS World 2024b).

    And the market share for garden supplies retailing is about 33 per cent for the largest 4 firms (IBIS World 2024c).

    Downstream, farmers deal with concentrated markets for processing, freight and retailing.

    According to IBIS World industry reports, there is concentration in fruit and vegetable processing, with the largest 4 companies holding about 34 per cent of the market (IBIS World 2023).

    For meat processing, market share of the largest 4 companies is 44 per cent with JBS Australia, Thomas Food International and Teys Australia being the dominant players (IBIS World 2024d).

    For rail freight transport, the 4 largest including Aurizon and Pacific National have a combined 64 per cent market share (IBIS World 2024e).

    For shipping freight transport in Australia, the market share of 2 companies – ANL and Maersk – amounts to about 85 per cent (IBIS World 2024f).

    When it comes to supermarkets and grocery stores in Australia, it is well documented that Coles and Woolworths account for two‑thirds of the market (IBIS World 2024g).

    These figures show that the agricultural supply chain is highly concentrated at the national level.

    However, for many farmers, their options are even more limited than these figures suggest, as transport costs and risk of spoilage further limit the commercially viable options available to them.

    To further illustrate the point about farmers being caught in the middle, today I will draw on case studies from a series of reports where concerns have been raised about market concentration harming farmers.

    And I will finish by outlining our actions to improve competition laws, to revitalise competition policy in Australia and to make the economy more productive.

    Digging in

    First, we should never underestimate the importance and efficiency gains of farm equipment and machinery.

    Historian James Burke argues the entire modern world is the result of the plough (Harford 2017).

    Increasing farm productivity meant communities could build up a surplus of food, people could settle in one place and everyone’s job no longer had to be finding food (Leigh 2024b).

    Knowing where your next meal was coming from allowed craftspeople to specialise, it allowed trade to flourish, and it allowed people to think about improving the world around them.

    Any list of top Australian inventions typically includes Richard Bowyer Smith and his brother Clarence’s invention in 1876 of the stump‑jump plough (Dictionary of Biography n.d).

    These days, we are no longer talking about the humble plough.

    We are talking about a billion‑dollar farm machinery industry consisting of hi‑tech harvesters, tractors and seeding machinery (DAFF 2022).

    John Deere has more software development engineers than mechanical design engineers (Patel 2021).

    For farmers, machinery represents a significant capital investment involving upfront and ongoing costs (ACCC 2021).

    But many Australian farmers feel they have no genuine choice or ability to shop around.

    The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s 2021 market study found farm machinery markets are concentrated at the manufacturer and dealership levels (ACCC 2021).

    Compared to car manufacturers, agricultural machinery makers have greater ability to leverage their market share in new sales to reduce competition in the market for servicing, repairs and parts.

    Warranties restrict the purchaser to a single authorised dealer for servicing and repairs.

    And tech restrictions mean independent repairers or farmers can’t access the parts, manuals and diagnostic software they need to carry out repairs.

    In short, farmers have few choices when buying machinery but even less choice when servicing or repairing that equipment.

    The Productivity Commission further examined difficulties accessing repair data as part of the right to repair inquiry (PC 2021).

    It agreed restrictions harm farmers through higher repair prices, reduced access and choice, and greater financial risks from repair delays.

    The Productivity Commission recommended the government intervene by introducing a repair supplies obligation on agricultural machinery.

    This would require manufacturers to provide access to repair information and diagnostic software tools to machinery owners and independent repairers on fair and reasonable commercial terms.

    As you may know, I have advocated for the need for access to service and repair information over many years.

    In July 2022, I launched Australia’s first right to repair law, the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme.

    The government is currently monitoring how this scheme is operating for the benefit of independent repairers and consumers.

    Extending right to repair to other sectors, such as agriculture, is a good thing for the economy, businesses and consumers.

    I am pleased there have been negotiations between Australian farmers and the farm machinery industry to consider putting in place a voluntary right to repair arrangements for the sector.

    I encourage parties to continue those negotiations as voluntary arrangements are a great opportunity to foster collaboration and flexibility and can often lead to innovative and effective outcomes.

    Seeds of doubt

    Seeds are the next input I want to cover.

    The US Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service examined the seed sector as part of its paper on concentration and competition in agribusiness (MacDonald J et al. 2023).

    The 2023 paper found the seed sector ‘has become highly integrated with agricultural chemicals and more concentrated, with fewer and larger firms dominating supply’.

    Using 2021 annual report data, it said Bayer, ChemChina’s Syngenta Group, Corteva and BASF were the biggest players in global sales for seeds and agricultural chemicals.

    The Economic Research Service found seed prices rose significantly as markets became more concentrated but said the evidence was mixed on the influence of other factors.

    Between 1990 and 2020, the average seed price went up by 270 per cent and the average price for genetically modified varieties rose 463 per cent (MacDonald J et al. 2023).

    Despite the higher seed costs, the paper said it could be argued that genetically modified varieties resulted in ‘significant productivity gains to farmers’.

    It also said higher seed prices may have supported research and development with the number of patents for new crop varieties doubling compared to earlier decades.

    Still, there are not many other industries where the price of a key input has grown fivefold in thirty years.

    Mergers have changed the global seed and farm chemical industry in recent years, and questions remain about what it means for prices and innovation in the long term.

    Sour competition grapes

    Wine grapes arrived with the first fleet in 1788 as cuttings collected en route by Captain Arthur Phillip.

    They were planted at Sydney Cove but withered and died without producing any fruit.

    Which is why it’s called the Rum Rebellion, not the Chardonnay Coup.

    Nevertheless, a fledging wine industry struggled to its feet through booms and busts of the 1800s and by the turn of the century had taken root.

    In the most recent year for which statistics are available, Australia exported 621 million litres of wine (Wine Australia 2024). That figure exceeds domestic wine sales, estimated at 444 million litres.

    There are more than 2,000 wineries and approximately 6,000 grape growers across our 65 wine growing regions.

    They have over 160,000 full and part‑time employees.

    But while the terroir may be good, the vineyard not a level playing field.

    A wine grape market study completed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in 2019 found a highly concentrated industry (ACCC 2019).

    Issues in the supply chain included a lack of competition, potential unfair contract terms, a lack of price transparency, and imbalanced risk allocation in favour of winemakers over grape growers.

    The largest 1 per cent of winemakers accounted for over 80 per cent of wine production.

    Four retailers account for over 80 per cent of sales by value in the domestic retail liquor market.

    The 5 largest winemakers account for an estimated 87 per cent of volume in the Australian wine export market.

    And the trend has been towards even greater consolidation of large winemakers in recent years.

    Change is never easy in agricultural industries subject to boom‑and slump cycles of over production in the good times and consolidation in the bad.

    In 2021 the ACCC found that commercial practices in the wine grape industry had improved since their 2019 report but warned that regulatory action may be necessary without further reforms in payment times and transparency.

    Industry is taking steps to improve transparency but there is still work to be done to ensure a fair and functioning wine, grape and retail market.

    In August, we appointed former competition minister Craig Emerson to lead an independent impact analysis of the wine and grape sector’s regulatory options (Collins 2024).

    Dr Emerson’s report will examine fair trading, competitive relationships, contracting practices and risk allocation.

    Competition beef

    Those problems are not unique to the grape and wine industry.

    In 2023, the National Farmers Federation released an issues paper criticising the lack of transparency and competition across Australia’s agricultural supply chains (NFF 2023).

    The National Farmers Federation said reduced competition meant farmers weren’t receiving the incomes they deserved with long‑term consequences for competitiveness, economic and environmental sustainability and profitability.

    Those concerns echoed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s cattle and beef market study of 2017. That study found evidence that conflicts of interest regularly arise in saleyard transactions when buyers bid for livestock on behalf of multiple clients, and when agents represent both a cattle seller and a cattle buyer in the same transaction (ACCC 2017).

    The report pointed out that cattle auctions have characteristics that make it easier for cartels to develop, including repeated interactions with the same auctioneers, who are often linked by social networks that make it easier to ‘punish’ auctioneers who break away from agreed anti‑competitive bidding practices. Other problematic behaviours included the exclusion of rival agents, and a lack of transparency around saleyard weighing protocols.

    There is a cyclical element to many concerns about competitiveness in the market structure of the Australian cattle and beef industry.

    An ongoing concern is the impact on producers of market concentration and buyer power during tough times, such as droughts.

    Seasonal and cyclical fluctuations in supply can also affect the profitability of meat processors, dampening incentives for new entrants and reducing competition through mergers or acquisitions of incumbents.

    The 2017 report found that the top 5 Australian processors account for around 57 per cent of total cattle slaughter (ACCC 2017).

    A follow‑up report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 2 years later found that the industry had taken some steps towards improving transparency in dealings between processors and farmers, but, again, there was still work to do (ACCC 2019).

    Super concentrated

    Another highly concentrated part of the agricultural supply chain in Australia are supermarkets.

    Coles and Woolworths account for about 67 per cent of national retail sales (Mulino 2024, ACCC 2024 p147).

    Only 2 OECD countries – New Zealand and Norway – have a greater market share of sales controlled by 2 supermarkets (ACCC 2024 p148).

    Earlier this year, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics handed down an excellent report on the inquiry into promoting economic dynamism, competition and business formation.

    The Committee received evidence on the high market share in the supermarket sector, profit margins, and the power imbalance in the relationship between the major supermarkets and farm‑gate producers.

    The report said: ‘Many agricultural suppliers are at risk of that power imbalance being used to negotiate outcomes that affect profitability and, therefore, the capacity and willingness to invest.’

    At the same time as the Parliamentary inquiry, our government is taking action on several fronts.

    Food and Grocery Code of Conduct

    First, we are making sure the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct is working effectively and fairly.

    The voluntary Code was introduced in 2015 to improve behaviour in the way supermarkets deal with suppliers – including growers where they supply directly to supermarkets.

    Dr Craig Emerson’s independent review found the Code is ‘needed to address persistent bargaining power imbalances between supermarkets and their smaller suppliers’ (Emerson 2024).

    Dr Emerson made 11 recommendations for improving the Code and the government announced in June that it will adopt them all (Treasury 2024a).

    The Code will be made mandatory with Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and Metcash subject to million‑dollar penalties for serious breaches.

    There will be improvements to the dispute resolution mechanisms. There will be a pathway for anonymous complaints from suppliers and whistle‑blowers, and guards against retribution by supermarkets.

    We released exposure drafts for consultation in September and we aim to introduce legislation into the Parliament later this year.

    Supermarket inquiry

    Second, we understand more needs to be done to achieve a competitive and sustainable food and grocery sector.

    So, we directed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to undertake a 12‑month inquiry into supermarket pricing.

    It allows the watchdog to conduct a deep dive into competition and pricing practices in the supermarket sector for the first time in more than 15 years.

    The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s interim report released in September said, ‘Australia’s supermarket industry is changing’ but remains ‘highly concentrated’ (ACCC 2024).

    In the era of online shopping, loyalty programs and data technology, Coles and Woolworths have expanded their share of take‑home food and grocery sales by a combined 3.7 percentage points since 2006–07.

    Supermarkets have also expanded into broader ‘ecosystems’ beyond grocery retailing but in highly complementary areas such as advertising and data analytics, pet products, telco and insurance services (ACCC 2024 p161).

    As well as conducting consumer surveys as part of the inquiry, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission held 7 roundtables to listen to farmers and fresh produce wholesalers.

    Although no conclusions have been made, the interim report highlighted concerns from fresh produce suppliers about information asymmetries, power imbalances and specific practices that have enabled supermarkets to transfer disproportionate risk and cost onto suppliers.

    In the next phase of the inquiry, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will undertake 14 case studies to examine supermarket profit margins and how profits are distributed in the supply chain.

    And it will hand a final report to the government in February 2025.

    CHOICE retail reports

    Third, we announced funding for consumer group CHOICE to produce quarterly reports on retail grocery prices.

    The CHOICE reports will compare grocery prices at different retailers, highlighting those charging the most and the least.

    We have already seen the first 2 ‘basket of goods’ quarterly reports using data from March and June to help consumers make informed decisions about what they’re buying and where they shop (Leigh 2024c).

    Other measures

    Earlier this month, the Australian Government announced around $30 million in additional funding to the ACCC to crack down on misleading and deceptive pricing practices and unconscionable conduct in the supermarket and retail sectors.

    This will strengthen the ACCC’s ability to proactively monitor behaviour and investigate concerns about supermarkets and retailers falsely justifying higher prices.

    In addition to this crackdown, the Treasurer will work closely with states and territories through the Council on Federal Financial Relations to reform planning and zoning regulations, which will help boost competition in the supermarket sector by opening up more sites for new stores (Albanese 2024).

    Strengthening protections against unfair contract terms

    Unfair contract term protections are another area where we have already made improvements.

    Unfair contract terms are terms that are clearly lopsided – for example by allowing the more powerful party to unilaterally change prices, or cancel the contract.

    Under the former government, such terms were unenforceable, but it was not an offence to include them in a contract.

    Fertiliser

    For example, last year the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission investigated complaints about fertiliser companies using contracts in a way that could disadvantage farmers (ACCC 2023).

    Contract terms allegedly gave larger suppliers the right to unilaterally vary the quantity delivered or to terminate the agreement and restricted buyers from raising issues about defects.

    Fertiliser suppliers co‑operated and changed the contract terms to address the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s concerns.

    Potatoes

    In another example, the Federal Court in 2019 declared Mitolo Group, Australia’s largest potato wholesaler, used unfair terms in contracts with growers (ACCC 2019).

    The court declared contract terms that allowed Mitolo to unilaterally determine or vary the price paid to growers as void.

    Terms preventing growers from selling potatoes to other purchasers and terms stopping farmers from selling their property unless the buyer entered into a contract with Mitolo were also declared void.

    Stronger laws

    More broadly, the problem is the laws weren’t stopping the use of unfair terms, which remain prevalent in standard form contracts.

    A court could declare a contract term to be unfair and therefore void and unenforceable, but until our government took office, the law didn’t allow penalties to be imposed.

    We have fixed that. In 2022, we delivered on our promise to strengthen unfair contract term laws (Leigh & Collins 2022).

    We introduced civil penalty provisions outlawing the use of, and reliance on, unfair terms in standard form contracts.

    And we extended the coverage of the protections.

    We lifted the eligibility cap from businesses with less than 20 employees to businesses with less than 100 employees, or annual turnover of less than $10 million.

    The most significant merger reforms in decades

    Merger regulation is one of the key pillars of competition law (Leigh 2024a).

    It acts as the ‘preventive medicine’ against the few mergers that substantially lessen competition.

    But feedback suggests our system isn’t as healthy as it could be.

    The Competition Taskforce found Australia’s ‘ad hoc’ merger process is unfit for a modern economy and said we lag best practice in other countries.

    In response, we have announced the most significant reforms to merger settings in almost 50 years.

    The proposed reforms will make Australia’s merger approval system faster, stronger, simpler, targeted and more transparent.

    Revitalising National Competition Policy

    The Albanese government is working with state and territories to revitalise National Competition Policy.

    There is consensus that pro‑competitive reforms are worth doing and we are aiming for agreement by the end of the year.

    The original National Competition Policy underpinned a generation of growth from the 1990s (Leigh 2024d).

    While it left us in a good position, the economy has changed, and the nation now faces new challenges that the original policy could not have anticipated.

    These include digitalisation, the growth in human services, the net zero transformation and supporting Australia’s most vulnerable (Treasury 2024b).

    Trade opportunities

    We are also looking to improve competitiveness overseas as well as at home.

    Our farmers are internationally competitive with Australia exporting around 72 per cent of the total value of agricultural, fisheries and forestry production (ABARES 2024).

    Historically, Australia’s farmers have been among the strongest advocates of trade liberalisation. The old ‘protection all round’ strategy meant that Australian farmers paid more for imported farm machinery, and faced tariffs from other countries to which they exported their produce.

    Reductions in Australia’s domestic tariffs under the Whitlam, Hawke and Keating governments made farm equipment more affordable. It also bought Australia international credibility – enabling us to spearhead reform through the creation in 1986 of the Cairns Group of Fair Trading Nations, to advocate for liberalisation of global trade in agricultural goods (cairnsgroup.org).

    Today, our government is building on that legacy. Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy said, ‘Australia is already a key partner in helping Southeast Asia meet its food security needs’, and notes that ‘there is strong potential to develop this trade relationship further towards 2040’ (DFAT 2023).

    So, trade forms a significant part of our broader economic agenda.

    And as Trade Minister Don Farrell observes, we are ‘delivering on our commitment to secure new trade and investment opportunities for Australian exporters, producers, farmers and businesses’ (Farrell 2024).

    Closing remarks

    Let me finish by saying, competitive markets matter in all parts of the Australian economy, but especially in the farm sector.

    As the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Mick Keogh crisply puts it: ‘there are many farmers, but few processors or wholesalers, and even fewer major retailers’ (Keogh 2021).

    As my analysis of IBIS World data shows, small‑scale farmers are often the meat in a market concentration sandwich.

    Upstream, there is often no choice about dealing with large‑scale providers on inputs.

    Downstream, there is often no choice about negotiating with larger processors and retailers.

    And through various examples from many reports over several years, we can see that market concentration hurts farmers.

    Higher prices for inputs.

    Less choice for repairs.

    Power imbalances in negotiating contracts.

    A lack of transparency around prices.

    And potentially unfair contract terms.

    I’m pleased to say, as outlined today, the government is focused on practical solutions to improve our competition settings.

    And we appreciate the expertise and insights of the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences.

    Thank you.

    Note: My thanks to officials in the Australian Treasury for invaluable drafting assistance.

    References

    Albanese, A; Chalmers, J. (2024) ‘Helping Australians get fairer supermarket prices through stronger protections and greater competition’, [media release] The Treasury, accessed 1 October 2024.

    Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) n.d About ABARES – Our History, online content.

    Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) (2024) Snapshot of Australian Agriculture 2024, ABARES Insights.

    Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) (2024) Supermarkets inquiry interim report.

    Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) (2017) Cattle and Beef Market Study – Final Report.

    Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) (2019a), Transparency improving in cattle and beef industry, media release issued 20 August 2019.

    Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) (2020) Perishable agricultural goods inquiry Final Report.

    Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) (2021) Agricultural Machinery Market Study.

    Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) (2023) Fertiliser suppliers amend unfair contract terms after ACCC investigation Accessed 21 August 2023.

    Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) (2019b) Court penalises potato wholesaler for breaching the Horticulture Code and declares unfair contract terms void, Accessed 2 August 2019.

    Australian of the Year Awards (n.d) Sir John Crawford AC CBE – In Memoriam.

    Cairns Group, The. (n.d) About The Cairns Gro…~https://www.cairnsgroup.org/Pages/Introduction.aspx

    Collins (2024) Supporting Australia’s wine industry [media release] The Treasury, accessed 23 August 2024.

    Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (2022) Snapshot – Australian agricultural machinery imports Accessed 4 November 2022.

    Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (2023) Boosting capabilities to support a sustainable agriculture sector Budget 2023–2024 fact sheet, Australian Government.

    Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2023) Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, a report for the Australian Government accessed September 2023.

    Dictionary of Biography, Australian. Richard Bowyer Smith entry, Biography – Richard …~https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/smith‑richard‑bowyer‑13201

    Emerson C (2024) Independent Review of the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct Final Report, [final report] Treasury.

    Farrell D (2024) Press conference, Parliament House Accessed 17 September 2024.

    Harford T 27 November (2017) How the plough made the modern economy possible BBC World Service.

    IBIS World (2024a) ‘Agricultural machinery manufacturing in Australia’, Industry Report, February 2024.

    IBIS World (2024b) ‘Hardware and building supplies retailing in Australia’, Industry Report, February 2024.

    IBIS World (2024c) ‘Garden supplies retailing in Australia’, Industry Report, March 2024.

    IBIS World (2024d) ‘Meat processing in Australia’, Industry Report, June 2024.

    IBIS World (2024e) ‘Rail freight transport in Australia’, Industry Report, September 2024.

    IBIS World (2024f) ‘Water freight transport in Australia’, Industry Report, May 2024.

    IBIS World (2024g) ‘Supermarkets and grocery stores in Australia, Industry Report, August 2024.IBIS World 2023, ‘Fruit and vegetable processing in Australia’, Industry Report, August 2023.

    Keogh M (2021) Competition in Australian agriculture Speech to the National Farmers’ Federation accessed 11 June 2021.

    Leigh A 28 November (2022) Look overseas to see the virtues of more competition [opinion piece] The Australian.

    Leigh A 27 August (2024a) Why new rules in competition are sure to be game‑changing [opinion piece] The Canberra Times.

    Leigh A (2024b) The Shortest History of Economics, Black Inc.

    Leigh A (2024b) Supermarket price monitoring to help Australians make informed choices at the checkout [media release] Accessed 20 June 2024.

    Leigh A (2024c) Supermarket price monitoring to help Australians make informed choices at the checkout [media release] Accessed 20 June 2024.

    Leigh A (2024d) Competition reform will ensure flourishing future [opinion piece] The Australian.

    Leigh A and Collins J (2023) Labor delivering on promise to ban unfair contract terms [media release] Accessed 26 July 2022.

    Leigh A and Triggs A (2016), Markets, Monopolies and Moguls: The Relationship between Inequality and Competition. Australian Economic Review, 49: 389–412.

    MacDonald J, Dong X, and Fuglie K (2023) Concentration and Competition in U.S. Agribusiness United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, Economic Information Bulletin No.256.

    Miller J (2007) Sir John Grenfell (Jack) Crawford (1910–1984) Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 17, 2007, ANU.

    Mulino D (2024) Better Competition, Better Prices Report on the inquiry into promoting economic dynamism, competition and business formation, House of Representatives, Standing Committee on Economics.

    National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) (2023), Issues Paper, Market Price Transparency, National Farmers’ Federation Issues Paper.

    Patel N 15 June (2021) John Deere turned tractors into computers – what’s next, The Verge.

    Powell G & Macintyre S (2015) Land of opportunity: Australia’s post‑war reconstruction, National Archives of Australia Research Guide.

    Productivity Commission (PC) (2021) Right to Repair Inquiry Report No.97, accessed 29 October 2021.

    Treasury (2024a) Government response to the Independent Review of the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct, Treasury.

    Treasury (2024b) National Competition Policy fact sheet Treasury.

    Uhr J (2006) The Crawford Doctrine: An informal sketch Australian National University, accessed 21 June 2006.

    Whitnall T and Pitts N (2020) Meat Consumption ABARES.

    Wine Australia (2024), Market insights, Australian wine sector at a glance, Wine Australia.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: KAMANDAG 8: Multinational Teams, 15th MEU Recon Train Together in Manila

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    MANILA, Philippines  –  

    Marines with Reconnaissance Company, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, partnered with the Philippine Marine Corps’ Force Reconnaissance Group and other multinational recon and special forces units for combined training events at Marine Base Gregorio Lim near Manila, Philippines, Oct. 17-23, 2024, during Exercise KAMANDAG 8.

    KAMANDAG is an annual Philippine Marine Corps and U.S. Marine Corps-led exercise taking place Oct. 15-25 aimed at enhancing the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ defense and humanitarian capabilities by providing valuable training in combined operations with foreign militaries in the advancement of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. This year marks the eighth iteration of this exercise, with participants from the French Armed Forces, Royal Thai Marine Corps, and Indonesian Marine Corps; including continued participation from the Australian Defense Force, British Armed Forces, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, and Republic of Korea Marine Corps.

    Training at MGBL included Philippine National Police and Philippine Coast Guard special operations units that also participated in some of the events.

    The events included: jungle survival and patrolling; live-fire exercises; competitive sniper shoots; chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) training; small boat operations; and visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) operations. Each event focused on improving interoperability and sharing tactics, techniques, and procedures among the training units to enhance their readiness to respond to a wide range of threats in the Indo-Pacific region.

    “This type of training alongside our Philippine FRG counterparts and other multilateral units during KAMANDAG enabled us to all learn from one another,” said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Jon Bender, commanding officer of Reconnaissance Company, 15th MEU. “Collectively, these training events allowed us to refine common tactics, work together in complex and dynamic environments, and build trust between our units. The level of cooperation we’ve shared here is key to maintaining readiness and improving our operational capabilities.”

    The first training event involved jungle tactics in the dense terrain surrounding MGBL. The combined units focused on surviving and operating in a challenging jungle environment. This included techniques for building shelters, capturing or finding food, starting a fire, as well as moving through thick vegetation while maintaining tactical awareness, communications, and conducting reconnaissance in an area known for its difficult terrain and unpredictable weather.

    “The jungle presents unique challenges,” said U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Alexis Gonzales, a team leader with Security Platoon, Reconnaissance Company, 15th MEU, and a Dallas native. “Learning from the Philippine Marines, who have extensive experience operating in this environment, enhances our ability to succeed in similar conditions.”

    Several live-fire ranges were conducted during KAMANDAG training at MBGL. Sniper teams from each multinational element worked together, using spotters to guide the shooters in hitting distant targets. The live-fire portion also included a combined medium machine gun range, unknown-distance target range and competitive sniper shoots.

    During CBRN training, participants donned M50 gas masks as they trained to respond to a CS gas threat. This rehearsal tested their ability to quickly don protective equipment while remaining calm, effective and able to continue to operate in a contaminated environment.

    “The CBRN training allowed the forces to be comfortable operating in adverse environments,” said U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Tiago Nunes, a CBRN specialist with the 15th MEU, and a native of Boston. “Everyone involved in the training is now better equipped with the knowledge and expertise needed to stay safe and lethal.”

    Another key component of the training included explosive breaching operations, where Marines practiced breaching doors and barriers with controlled explosive charges. This training, essential for small tactical units conducting rapid entry during urban operations or raids, was facilitated by Marines from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Platoon, Combat Logistics Battalion 15, 15th MEU.

    On the water, the combined units used small boats during a raid course focused on scout swimmer operations, infiltration and extraction. The training included formation maneuvers moving quickly through coastal waters, stealthily approaching targets, and withdrawing after completing their missions.

    “The amphibious raid training shows our ability to insert forces from the sea and maintain the element of surprise,” said U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Donald Wernick, a reconnaissance Marine with Reconnaissance Company, 15th MEU, and a native of Virginia. “We conducted drills with numerous repetitions on the basics, which allowed the force to all know their roles and operate as a fluid and cohesive team.”

    Two of the final exercises involved a gas and oil platform (GOPLAT) and a VBSS maritime interdiction using small boats. The GOPLAT training was simulated at Fort Drum, an island fort near Manila, where the combined Marines walked through their actions during a raid, including securing the platform, eliminating threats and securing key infrastructure. During the at-sea VBSS, U.S. and Philippine Marines approached in small boats to rapidly board a target vessel. The VBSS tested the coordination and timing between the forces, as they boarded the vessel simultaneously, secured key areas and neutralized simulated threats.

    The week of multilateral training during KAMANDAG reinforced a shared commitment to regional stability and security in the Indo-Pacific. By sharing knowledge, refining common tactics, and strengthening bonds, participating forces are better prepared to conduct joint multilateral operations across a spectrum of challenges.

    “Exercises like this enhance the strength and common skills that already exist, especially between 15th MEU’s Recon Marines and Philippine FRG,” said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Thomas Zahn, a platoon commander with Reconnaissance Company, 15th MEU. “This training ensures that we are ready to face threats or respond to crises, together, wherever they arise.”

    As Exercise KAMANDAG 8 concludes Oct. 25, U.S. and Philippine Marines, along with their multinational like-minded partners, remain committed to advancing their capabilities and enhancing their ability to operate as a cohesive, combined force.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Inquiry warns distrustful public wouldn’t accept COVID measures in future pandemic

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    The government-appointed inquiry into Australia’s COVID response has warned public trust won’t be so high in a future pandemic and people would be unlikely to accept again many of the measures taken.

    “That means there is a job to be done to rebuild trust, and we must plan a response based on the Australia we are today, not the Australia we were before the pandemic,” the report released on Tuesday said.

    The inquiry was conducted by former NSW public servant Robyn Kirk, epidemiologist Catherine Bennett, and economist Angela Jackson. It examined the health and economic responses; while it did not directly delve into the state responses, it did cover the federal-state interface.

    The overall takeout from the inquiry is that “Australia did well relative to other nations, that experienced larger losses in human life, health system collapse and more severe economic downturns”.

    But “the pandemic response was not as effective as it could have been” for an event for which there was “no playbook for pivotal actions.”

    The inquiry said “with the benefit of hindsight, there was excessive fiscal and monetary policy stimulus provided throughout 2021 and 2022, especially in the construction sector. Combined with supply side disruptions, this contributed to inflationary pressures coming out of the pandemic.”

    The inquiry criticised the Homebuilder program’s contribution to inflation, as well as Jobkeeper’s targeting, and said blanket access to superannuation should not be repeated.

    The government – which might have originally expected the inquiry to have been more critical of the Morrison government – quickly seized on the report’s economic criticisms.

    The panel has made a set of recommendations to ensure better preparation for a future pandemic.

    It highlighted the “tail” the pandemic has left, especially its effect on children, who suffered school closures.

    “Children faced lower health risks from COVID-19; however, broader impacts on the social and emotional development of children are ongoing. These include impacts on mental health, school attendance and academic outcomes for some groups of children.”

    The report noted that the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee had never recommended widespread school closures.

    A lack of clear communication about risks had created the environment for states to decide to go to remote learning.

    The impacts on children should be considered in future pandemic preparations, the inquiry said.

    It strongly backed making permanent the interim Australian Centre for Disease Control. The government will legislate next year for the CDC, to start on January 1 2026, as an independent statutory agency.

    The CDC would be important in rebuilding trust, the report said, as well as “strengthening resilience and preparedness”. It would provide “national coordination to gather evidence necessary to undertake the assessments that can guide the proportionality of public health responses in future crises”.

    The report said trust in government was essential for a successful response to a pandemic.

    At COVID’s outset, the public largely did what was asked of them, complying with restrictive public health orders.

    But the initial strengthening of trust in government did not continue through the pandemic. By the second year, restrictions on personal freedom were less accepted.

    Reasons for the decrease in trust included a lack of transparency in decision making, poor communication, the stringency and duration of restrictions, implementation of mandated measures, access to vaccines and inconsistencies in responses across jurisdictions.

    Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Inquiry warns distrustful public wouldn’t accept COVID measures in future pandemic – https://theconversation.com/inquiry-warns-distrustful-public-wouldnt-accept-covid-measures-in-future-pandemic-242383

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Public online voting for EDB’s Picturise Your Messages Sticker Design Competition

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The public online voting for the Healthy Living, Happy Family Series – Picturise Your Messages Sticker Design Competition organised by the Education Bureau (EDB) commences from today (October 29) to November 4. Parents, students, teachers and members of the public are welcome to vote for the winning entries of the Most Liked Award among the outstanding submissions selected by the adjudication panel.

         A spokesman for the EDB said, “The sticker design competition was well received with the submission of over 4 000 creative entries, through which participants used different ways to convey the message of developing healthy lifestyle. To encourage public participation and enhance interaction of the competition, the EDB has specially set up the Most Liked Award for the Kindergarten Group, Primary Group and Secondary Group, and 15 outstanding entries from each group have been selected by the adjudication panel. Parents, students, teachers and members of the public can vote for their favourite entries through the activity website (www.parent.edu.hk/en/smart-parent-net/topics/article/ppc-competition2024). The entry with the most likes in each group will be presented with the Most Liked Award. The results of the competition will be announced through the activity website on November 13, and the awards will be presented at the Positive Parent Campaign Activity Day cum Prize Presentation Ceremony on December 15.”

         The EDB has been running the Positive Parent Campaign since June 2020 to promote positive parent education through extensive and diversified channels with a view to fostering parents’ positive thinking and promoting proper ways and attitudes of nurturing children, thereby developing in parents a positive and optimistic mindset that contributes to the effective learning and happy development of children. The Healthy Living, Happy Family Series – Picturise Your Messages Sticker Design Competition aims to encourage parents and children to develop a healthy lifestyle together, including adequate sleep, daily exercises and participation in leisure activities, so that both parents and children can relax appropriately and maintain their physical and psychological well-being to facilitate happy and healthy development of children. 

         The EDB aims to raise the awareness of the Positive Parent Campaign among students, parents and the public through the activities under the Healthy Living, Happy Family Series, and to complement the promotion of the 4Rs Mental Health Charter (4Rs Charter) implemented by the EDB in the 2024/25 school year. Parents are encouraged to support the 4Rs Charter and uphold the four essential elements in fostering mental health, namely Rest, Relaxation, Relationship and Resilience, and work together with schools to create an environment conducive to the healthy development of students. For the updated information of the Positive Parent Campaign, please visit the EDB Smart Parent Net website (www.parent.edu.hk/en). 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Japanese animation ‘Look Back’ debuts in China

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Kiyotaka Oshiyama’s “Look Back,” a Japanese animated film adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s acclaimed manga, premiered in Beijing on Oct. 25 to widespread acclaim from Chinese audiences.

    Director Kiyotaka Oshiyama speaks to the audience via video link at the China premiere of his animated film “Look Back” in Beijing, Oct. 25, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Today Pictures]

    The heart-wrenching story follows Fujino, a popular and outgoing student known for creating humorous comics in the class newspaper. Her world transforms when her teacher pairs her with Kyomoto, a talented but reclusive artist. This unexpected partnership sparks competition in Fujino, and as she wrestles with feelings of jealousy, she discovers they share a deep passion for drawing. The two form a complicated relationship through their dedication to manga creation.

    “Look Back,” a faithful adaptation by newcomer Studio Durian and industry veteran Kiyotaka Oshiyama, resonates deeply with its source material by exploring the emotional journey of artistic pursuit and the profound connections forged through creative expression. Since its release, the directorial debut has moved audiences to tears and inspired many to pursue their artistic dreams.

    At the Beijing premiere, Oshiyama connected with viewers via video link, expressing admiration for Fujimoto’s distinctive style while acknowledging the challenges of adapting a four-panel comic into a feature film.

    The director said scenes of Fujino and Kyomoto drawing held special significance, reflecting his own background as a key animator where drawing became his most intimate craft.

    “Look Back” was released across China on Oct. 26 through the National Alliance of Arthouse Cinemas (NAAC), earning nearly 20 million yuan ($2.8 million) on its opening day. The NAAC, established in 2016, is managed by the China Film Archive and works with theater chains to support arthouse film distribution. The film garnered an impressive 8.5/10 rating on Douban, China’s leading review aggregation platform.

    A Chinese poster for “Look Back.” [Image courtesy of China Film Group]

    Fujimoto, known for creating the hit manga series “Chainsaw Man,” shared his enthusiasm for the film’s reception: “The film adaptation of ‘Look Back’ initially was released in fewer than 100 cinemas in Japan, but now is to be shown in 3,500 cinemas across China. I must thank the enthusiastic fans in China! This miraculous work involves director Kiyotaka Oshiyama, whom I greatly admire, and musician Haruka Nakamura. I hope fans in China can also appreciate the talents of these two. Thank you very much!”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Antisemitism at Australian universities referred to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights

    Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers

    The Albanese Government has referred antisemitism at Australian universities to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights for inquiry and report. 

    Every Australian deserves to feel safe and supported in our community, no matter who they are or what they believe. 

    There is no place for hatred or racism in our universities or anywhere else. 

    This inquiry was a recommendation of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee. The Committee was deeply troubled by the experiences of Jewish students and staff, and the responses to antisemitism by Australian universities. 

    The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights inquiry will consider the prevalence, nature and experiences of antisemitism at universities, including frameworks and policies to prevent and respond to it, and support provided to students and staff. 

    This inquiry is part of the Government’s multifaceted approach to addressing Australia’s complex experiences of racism. 

    The inquiry will complement other initiatives underway, including: 

    • the Australian Human Rights Commission’s ‘Respect at Uni: Study into Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Racism and the experience of First Nations People’ 
    • the work of the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism and Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, and 
    • legislation to establish an independent National Student Ombudsman. 

    The Committee has been asked report to both Houses of the Parliament by 31 March 2025.

    Details of the inquiry, including the letter of referral and the terms of reference, will be available on the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights webpage. 

    Quotes attributable to Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus:

    “All around Australia Jewish students and staff tell me they don’t feel welcome on campus and they don’t think their universities care. 

    “This is an intolerable situation and urgent action is needed to address the tensions on university campuses to protect the safety of students and staff. The Albanese Government is committed to ensuring we deal effectively with this disturbing situation.” 

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare: 

    “There is nothing more important than the safety of students and staff on campus. 

    “This inquiry complements the existing actions the Government is taking to improve safety at our universities and I look forward to its recommendations.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australia’s COVID inquiry shows why a permanent ‘centre for disease control’ is more urgent than ever

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jocelyne Basseal, Associate Director, Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute (Sydney ID), Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney

    Christie Cooper/Shutterstock

    The long-awaited independent inquiry into Australia’s COVID response was released today, with lessons on how the nation could better prepare for future pandemics.

    The 868-page report outlined nine guiding recommendations and 26 actions, including 19 set for implementation over the next 12 to 18 months. These form the foundation for future pandemic preparedness.

    With initial strong national solidarity, Australia acted quickly to close national borders, the inquiry found. This bought crucial time, but Australia was not adequately prepared for a crisis of the scale of the COVID pandemic.

    Australia’s response lacked strong central co-ordination and leadership. Communication about public health advice was often conflicting or not appropriately communicated with the most vulnerable groups. Public trust was further undermined by a lack of transparency in decision-making, such as disease modelling, which underpinned important public health responses.

    In hindsight, the inquiry concluded a fully fledged Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) could have made a huge difference. In response, the federal government today committed A$251 milion to establish such a centre in Canberra.

    What did the inquiry find?

    1. Early rapid response and consensus helped keep us safe. As an inland nation, Australia was able to close its borders while preparing for the ultimate inevitable population-wide spread of SARS CoV-2. But it was unprepared for pandemic-related quarantines.

    2. Initially, the communication was clear and consistent. This didn’t last. Huge uncertainties, rapidly changing circumstances, differing opinions among experts and the politicisation of the response undermined communication strategies. Communication with diverse ethnic groups and vulnerable populations groups were often sub-optimal. In future, misinformation and disinformation needs to be addressed through improving health literacy and proactive communication.

    3. Our health-care infrastructure was lacking and couldn’t cope with emergency surge capacity, the inquiry found, although health-care workers “pulled together” remarkably. Aged care facilities were particularly vulnerable and had poor infection-control practices. More broadly, there were supply chain issues and inadequate stockpiles of essential infection prevention and control equipment, such as masks and gloves. Australia was unable to manufacture these and was left at the mercy of foreign providers.

    4. Analysing the genetic material of the virus and widespread testing were critical to tracking viral evolution and spread. Pathogen genomics in New South Wales and Victoria, for instance, allowed accurate tracking of virus variants and local transmission. But there was poor exchange of data between jurisdictions and limited national coordination to optimise data interpretation and response.

    5. Transparent, evidence-based decision-making was lacking. Disease models that informed key decisions were opaque and not open to scrutiny or peer review.

    6. Vulnerable populations, including children, suffered disproportionately. COVID-related school closures were particularly harmful as they affected learning, socialising and development, and disproportionately affected children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Strict social isolation also increased the risk of family violence, along with anxiety and other mental health impacts. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experienced higher risks due to the inequity of service provision and the social determinants of health.

    7. Research is important and should be rapidly scalable. Good surveillance systems for emerging infectious diseases and future pandemic threats should be in place. Patient specimens need to be stored so we can rapidly explore the mechanisms of disease and develop essential diagnostic tests. The inquiry recognised the need for Australia to develop its own vaccines and for access to mRNA technology was recognised as an important health security measure, given challenges in vaccine access.

    8. Global solidarity and co-operation create a safer word for all.
    The stark inequities in COVID vaccine access, opened major fault lines in international relationships and still complicate the drafting of a global pandemic treaty.

    9. Emerging diseases with a One Health focus should be recognised as a ‘standing threat’. In our modern interconnected world, with highly concentrated human and animal populations combined with stressed ecosystems, new diseases with pandemic potential will continue to emerge at an unprecedented rate. This requires a gobal focus.

    How could a CDC make a difference?

    One of the inquiry’s key take-home messages is that the lack of strong, independent, central co-ordination hampered our pandemic response.

    The inadequate flow of data between jurisdictions were major shortcomings that limited the ability to target responses. This is needed to understand:

    • transmission dynamics
    • the vulnerabilities in those with severe disease
    • the circulating viral variants.

    The inquiry also emphasised the need to analyse data in near real time.

    Good data drive evidence-informed and transparent policy. This is a crucial area for a future Australian CDC to address. The CDC will function as a “data hub”, with Canberra offering the ideal location supporting a multi-jurisdictional “hub-and-spoke” model.

    Australia’s new CDC is expected to be launched by January 2026, pending legislation approval. The ongoing challenge will be to ensure it delivers optimal long-term health benefits for all Australians.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Australia’s COVID inquiry shows why a permanent ‘centre for disease control’ is more urgent than ever – https://theconversation.com/australias-covid-inquiry-shows-why-a-permanent-centre-for-disease-control-is-more-urgent-than-ever-239498

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: IDEX Biometrics appoints new Chief Financial Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Oslo, Norway – October 29, 2024 – IDEX Biometrics has appointed Kristian Flaten as Chief Financial Officer, effective November 1, 2024.

    Kristian Flaten brings over 25 years of financial leadership and experience with international business and financing, including from Asian growth markets, a strong focus for IDEX Biometrics. He has a proven track record in corporate finance, debt financing and business development in growth companies. 

    Kristian has a background as CFO with Quantafuel ASA, recycling plastic waste, and as VP Corporate Finance with BW Offshore, oilfield services. Additionally, he has experience from the financial sector with Export Finance Norway and Handelsbanken. 

    Kristian holds a Master of Science from NHH (Norwegian School of Economics), with majors in Finance and Strategy. He will be based at IDEX Biometrics headquarters in Oslo.

    “We are most pleased to welcome Kristian to our executive team,” says Catharina Eklof, Chief Executive Officer of IDEX Biometrics. “Bringing on Kristian is an important step in the business transformation of IDEX. Kristian comes with critical experience from growth companies and his proven track record will be key as we continue to evolve IDEX, and drive innovation in biometric platform and software solution expansion to key markets.” 

    “I am excited to join IDEX Biometrics at this pivotal time of the company’s growth journey,” comments Kristian Flaten. “I look forward to working with the talented team to support the company’s strategic initiatives.” 

    Kristian Flaten is succeeding John Kurtzweil, who will continue to support the company in an advisory role. The company extends its warm gratitude to John for his excellent contributions during his tenure and for ensuring a smooth transition to Kristian.

    For further information contact:

    Marianne Bøe, Head of Investor Relations
    Email: ir@idexbiometrics.com
    Tel: + 47 67 83 91 19

    About IDEX Biometrics
    IDEX Biometrics ASA (OSE: IDEX) is a global technology leader in fingerprint biometrics, offering authentication solutions across payments, access control, and digital identity. Our solutions bring convenience, security, peace of mind and seamless user experiences to the world. Built on patented and proprietary sensor technologies, integrated circuit designs, and software, our biometric solutions target card-based applications for payments and digital authentication. As an industry-enabler we partner with leading card manufacturers and technology companies to bring our solutions to market.
    For more information, visit www.idexbiometrics.com

    Trademark Statement
    IDEX, IDEX Biometrics and the IDEX logo are trademarks owned by IDEX Biometrics ASA. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders.

    About this notice:
    This notice was issued by Marianne Bøe, Head of Investor Relations, on 29 October 2024 at 08:10 on behalf of IDEX Biometrics ASA.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: GUU held the second strategic session for MBA students in the Republic of Belarus

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    The State University of Management held the second strategic session for students of the professional retraining program “Master of Business Administration (MBA)”, studying within the quota established by the Government of the Russian Federation.

    The event was held at the Representative Office of Rossotrudnichestvo in the Republic of Belarus – the Russian House in Minsk.

    The strategic session “Effective tools for analyzing business processes of an organization”, conducted by the head of the department of industrial organizations management of the Institute of Industry Management Victoria Borisova and associate professors of the department of project management of the Institute of Industry Management Natalia Titova and Tatyana Chernova, is dedicated to tools for constructing, analyzing and identifying problems in existing business processes in an organization.

    During the two-day face-to-face session, MBA students also developed recommendations and projects for improving business processes in their organizations. More than 50 students of the program took part in the event.

    Let us recall that the first strategic session for MBA program students was held in April of this year.

    The State University of Management trains foreign citizens in additional professional education programs within the framework of the Eurasian Network University, whose activities are aimed at creating and developing a single educational space of EAEU universities. More than 250 students have already been trained in various additional professional programs in 2024.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 10/29/2024

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ghana’s Minister for National Security highlights the important role the country plays in the region The University of Aberdeen welcomed the Minister for National Security in Ghana, the Honourable Albert Kan-Dapaah, in a visit where he shared the important role Ghana plays in upholding democracy and resolving the security challenges in the region.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    The University of Aberdeen welcomed the Minister for National Security in Ghana, the Honourable Albert Kan-Dapaah, in a visit where he shared the important role Ghana plays in upholding democracy and resolving the security challenges in the region.
    The delegation, which also included Emmanuel Dadzie, Technical Director at the Ministry of National Security and Mrs Ann-Marie Ekpale, Head of Human Resource at Ministry of National Security, was given a tour of the University’s 500-year-old campus and met with the Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Councillor David Cameron on Monday (October 28).
    Relations between the UK and Ghana are rooted in long-standing economic, political and cultural connections, since Ghana became independent from the UK in 1957. More recent commercial oil exploration and energy transition has led to the exchange of experiences and ideas with the industry in Aberdeen. Mr Kan-Dapaah was presented with a football shirt by Aberdeen Football Club in recognition of the connections between the regions.
    The Honourable Minister spoke during his visit on the political and security situation in the West African region and underscored the urgency for West Africa’s longstanding friends to empower the region to meet ongoing multidimensional challenges.
    He shared his perspectives on the decline in democracy in the region and highlighted the impact of the ongoing great power rivalry as a factor shrinking the space for meaningful regional and international security cooperation. 
    The speech also stressed the role of Ghana in upholding democracy and resolving the security challenges in the region and the upcoming General Elections and the country’s preparedness to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections.
    The University of Aberdeen has a large number of Ghanian students and more than 500 alumni including Hon. Prince Hamidu Armah, MP for Kwesimintsim Constituency, Western Region, who studied for a PhD in Mathematics Education at the University of Aberdeen.
    Many retain strong links with their Alma mater and in 2022 an Alumni Chapter for the University of Aberdeen was established in Accra.
    The Chapter aims to foster connections among graduates living and working in Ghana and serves as a bridge between alumni in Ghana and the broader University of Aberdeen community, helping to maintain and strengthen professional and personal ties beyond graduation.
    The University also has an active Ghana Students Society helping to create a sense of community among students, helping them connect, support each other, and build strong friendships while studying abroad. It promotes cultural exchange and understanding by organising events, workshops, and activities that showcase the traditions, customs, and history of Ghana.
    Dr Manu Lekunze, Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, introduced the Minister’s talk by highlighting why European security planners cannot ignore security developments in West Africa.
    He said: “These reasons include West Africa’s proximity to Europe, significant demographic change, strategic resources, and great power meddling that has implications for Europe
    “We were pleased to welcome the Honourable Minister to the University of Aberdeen and to hear first hand his insights into the role Ghana plays in the security challenges of the region.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The results of the 10th All-Russian Prize “For Loyalty to Science” have been summed up

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On October 28, 2024, the Zaryadye Concert Hall hosted the award ceremony of the 10th All-Russian Prize “For Loyalty to Science”.

    The All-Russian Prize “For Loyalty to Science” is one of the key events of the Decade of Science and Technology and the country’s main industry prize, which has been awarded for outstanding achievements in the field of scientific communication and popularization of science since 2015. This year, about 2 thousand applications from 80 regions of Russia were submitted for the prize.

    The International Festival SCIENCE 0 won in the nomination “Russian Science to the World” (nomination named after Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky). The award was presented to its initiator, the rector of the Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov Viktor Sadovnichy by the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov.

    “It is probably our country’s duty to contribute to the development of world science… We have opened up many new areas where our scientists find new opportunities for interaction and cooperation… Our scientists continue to remain open to the entire world. There is a circulation that provides the necessary energy for the development of science. No science can develop under a glass dome. It must be open, especially such a great science of such a great country,” Dmitry Peskov noted.

    Let us recall that young scientists from the State University of Management took part in the All-Russian campaign “Education in Schools”, held as part of the SCIENCE 0 festival.

    In the nomination “Author of Digital Content”, the award was received by the CEO of OOO “Technologies and Creativity”, co-author of the show “Revuzor” Vadim Bakin. The award was presented to him by Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    “You are doing a great job, one of the most important ones that President Vladimir Putin has ordered to be carried out within the framework of the Decade of Science and Technology – you are popularizing the high title of scientist. We see a good result. This year, the number of applications for the All-Russian Prize “For Loyalty to Science” has increased by 1.5 times – to almost 2 thousand. According to VTsIOM polls, more than half of Russians called the professions of scientist and engineer prestigious,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    The victory in the nomination “Work with experience: protection of historical truth” went to the historiographic study of the activities of scientific and legal centers of Russia and foreign countries over the past 100 years “Chronicle of Russian legal science in five volumes”. The prize was presented to the authors of the project by the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, a lawyer by education Valery Falkov.

    “We consciously cultivate a special attitude towards history. Because history is not a set of events, but a valuable experience that is passed down from generation to generation. It forms national consciousness, strengthens spiritual and cultural ties both within the state and at the international level,” said Valery Filkov.

    List of winners of the 10th All-Russian Prize “For Loyalty to Science”:

    Russian: Russian Science to the World Nomination (Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky Nomination) — SCIENCE 0 International Festival; Recognition Nomination — Soviet and Russian zoologist and biogeographer, host of the Animal World program Nikolai Drozdov; Scientific Press Service of the Year Nomination — press service of the Russian Science Foundation; Science Journalist of the Year Nomination — author and host of the scientific travel show Hitchhiker’s Guide to Science Alexander Prudnikov; Special Prize named after Daniil Granin Nomination — FANK Scientific Film Laboratory; Digital Content Author Nomination — CEO of Technologies and Creativity LLC, co-author of the Revuzor show Vadim Bakin; Working with Experience: Protecting Historical Truth Nomination — The Chronicle of Russian Legal Science in Five Volumes; Nomination “Special Prize named after Khristopher Ledentsov” (State Corporation “Rosatom”) — TASS special project “Atomic Age”; Nomination “Special Prize named after Khristopher Ledentsov” (State Corporation “Roscosmos”) — rocket-building championship “Jet Propulsion”; Nomination “Special Prize named after Khristopher Ledentsov” (State Corporation “Rostec”) — information portal “SPbGU in Action”; Nomination “Special Prize named after Khristopher Ledentsov” (PJSC “Gazprom”) — a series of career guidance quests “I am a future oil and gas chemistry engineer!”; Nomination “Science for Children” — competition “Scientific Universe”.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 10/29/2024

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Legends of Russian Science: Evgeny Antonovich Gailish

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The next issue of the special project “Legends of Russian Science” of the SPbPU Public Relations Department and the Polytechnic History Museum is dedicated to Evgeny Antonovich Gailish, the organizer of the production of high-quality radio equipment, Hero of Socialist Labor.

    Evgeny Gailish was born on September 27, 1914 in Petrograd, into a peasant family. In 1931, he graduated from high school, then entered the physics and mechanics department of the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute.

    During his student years, Evgeny Antonovich worked in a radio materials laboratory. There he created a method for calculating antenna insulators, which later found its practical application. After graduating from the university, the polytechnic student was a laboratory assistant, designer, and head of the laboratory at Research Institute-34 of the State Committee of the Council of Ministers of the USSR for Radio Electronics. In 1942, he got a job as a chief engineer at the Radio Engineering Semi-Finished Goods Plant No. 436. There, Evgeny Antonovich supervised the creation of elements for the portable transceiver “Sever”, which was widely used during the Great Patriotic War. During the siege of Leningrad, the transmitter was manufactured at the Kozitsky Plant. In 1945, E. A. Gailish joined the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks).

    After the war, Evgeny Antonovich worked as chief engineer and deputy general director for science at NPO Positron in Leningrad. He was engaged in theoretical research that was of great importance for the development of domestic instrument-making. The results of his work in this area were highly recognized with many state awards.

    Since 1975, Evgeny Aleksandrovich headed the Department of Design and Manufacturing Technology of Radio Components at the V. I. Lenin Electrotechnical University of Leningrad (LETI), and defended his doctoral dissertation.

    In 1949, E. A. Gailish received the Stalin Prize for organizing the production of high-quality radio equipment. On June 17, 1961, he was awarded the title Hero of Socialist Labor for outstanding achievements in the creation of rocket technology models and ensuring the successful flight of man into outer space. Among his awards are the Order of Lenin, the Order of the October Revolution, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, and the Badge of Honor.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: View from The Hill: ‘identity politics’ has challenged the Labor Party to define its identity

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    Saturday’s Queensland result provides the latest evidence of the dual tugs on the modern Labor Party, coming from its different constituencies.

    The smallest swing against the Miles government was in inner Brisbane; the swing became bigger in the outer suburbs, and larger again in the regions. The broad state figures were: south-east Queensland 6.3%; rural/regional Queensland 9.2%. The awings in the city were: inner Brisbane 5.0%; outer Brisbane 7.7%.

    This sort of divide reflects a challenge, first recognised decades ago, that’s highlighted by former Labor senator and minister Kim Carr, in his just-published A Long March. In a scathing critique of Labor’s problems, Carr calls this a “cultural crisis.”

    “The Labor ship has struck the rock of identity politics,” Carr writes, “with too many of its spokespeople adopting a censorious tone to those who fail to embrace their particular social policy agendas”.

    From the left, old school and former factional heavyweight, Carr argues Labor has sought to build a new constituency without paying sufficient attention to its traditional support base.

    Over decades, the once-working class party has taken up causes that appeal to the wealthier, better-educated middle- class voters, and these people have moved their support to it. The cost has been an erosion of outer suburban votes, the people now being aggressively targeted by opposition leader Peter Dutton.

    Meanwhile, in inner urban areas Labor has come under increasing pressure from the Greens. The danger for the ALP, Carr believes, is by trying to compete with the Greens on identity politics it will inevitably be outmanoeuvred.

    “The profound challenge for the Labor Party in the 2020s is to find a way to bind together its more affluent and educated support base in the inner and middle suburbs of the big cities with its less well-off and less formally educated supporters in the outer suburbs and regional cities,” Carr says.

    Political historian Paul Strangio, however, warns that while obviously Labor has to straddle constituencies, “there is no returning to an imagined ‘heartland’. The outer suburbs Carr seems to want Labor to focus upon are themselves radically changing. They are not a repository of old-fashioned working class values and priorities, and nor on their own are they sufficient to provide a basis for the party to hold government.”

    Carr says the issue is how to build Labor’s primary vote in its heartland communities.

    On what we’ve seen in recent politics, this appears a formidable, if not insurmountable, hope for any time soon.

    Voters don’t trust parties, let alone join them. The popularity of “community candidates” has seen a record-sized crossbench in the House of Representatives, with an expanded Greens presence and disillusionment with the Liberals making a strong contribution to the number in 2022. Next year’s election will test whether this trend is entrenched.

    Carr points out that Labor has a party membership that’s wealthier and older than the general community. Its membership is “thin” in the outer suburbs and the regions compared with the inner areas.

    Among the consequences is that the messages coming up through the party may not gell with the preoccupations of the broader community, he says.

    Over the years the ALP rank and file has not just shrunk numerically but been deprived of most of the not-inconsiderable power it once had within the party.

    In terms of clout, Labor’s national conference, which sets the platform, is a diminished beast, though massively swollen numerically. The party membership’s power over preselections has been greatly reduced, thanks to factional deal-making and frequent intervention by the party’s national executive. In just one significant way has the rank and file gained power: it now has a 50% voice in electing the party’s leader, so far exercised once, in 2013, when Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese faced off.

    Given the shrinkage and balkanisation of the party, there is currently not the interest in internal party reform that erupted periodically and often heatedly in earlier years.

    Labor veteran Race Mathews’ career, documented by his wife Iola in Race Mathews: A Life in Politics, has an extraordinarily broad political CV: a staffer for federal and state leaders, MP for the federal seat of Casey (elected on the 1972 Whitlam wave and defeated in the 1975 post-dismissal rout), and a Victorian state minister. An enduring preoccupation for Mathews, who was part of an influx of young, well-educated middle-class activists attracted to Labor in the 1960s and early 1970s, was fighting to make the Labor Party fit for purpose and more internally democratic.

    Serving on Gough Whitlam’s staff in the late 1960s, Mathews was in the thick of the then-opposition leader’s tumultuous battle with the troglodytes of the Victorian party, who preferred political impotence to the power of government. Whitlam knew that unless the ALP organisation was reformed, Labor’s road to office would be obstructed.

    Way back when, the party’s organisation, in which the left flexed a lot of muscle, liked to signal that the MPs were under its thumb. In 1963, then-opposition leader Arthur Calwell and Whitlam, his deputy, were embarrassed when photographed outside a Canberra hotel waiting for the party’s special national conference (to which they were not delegates) to decide Labor’s attitude to the North West Cape joint facility. The ultimate decision was not the problem – the line it was made by “36 faceless men” was.

    Mathews later highlighted the significance of the 1970 federal intervention in Victoria, saying it had led to important reforms in that state and elsewhere. “Good people were brought into parliament and membership was a rewarding experience.” But then factionalism “ossified” the party and “if you weren’t part of the factions, you were marginalised”.

    In his 70s Mathews (who is now aged 89 and suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease) was still fighting for democratisation of Labor’s organisation, which he described as “archaic and decrepit”. While party leaders and others were supportive in principle, the quest for a new wave of change ultimately brought only limited outcomes.

    Iola Mathews quotes her husband’s Facebook answer to those who wondered why he, at 80, he was still in these trenches.

    He wrote: “The fact is that nobody ever changed the party other than from inside it, or ever will. And shaping it closer to our heart’s desire is the only game in town.”

    The truth is, however, it’s a game those who run the Labor Party these days have no serious interest in pursuing. As Strangio observes, “the age of the mass party has passed”.

    Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. View from The Hill: ‘identity politics’ has challenged the Labor Party to define its identity – https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-identity-politics-has-challenged-the-labor-party-to-define-its-identity-242215

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Another free Wi-Fi network has become available to students of the State University of Management

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    Great news for students living in dormitories No. 2 and No. 6 of the State University of Management – a new Wi-Fi hotspot has opened.

    For the additional free opportunity to access the Internet, we would like to thank the Department of Information Technology of the City of Moscow and the digital solutions operator NAUKA.

    Connection instructions:

    Select the Moscow_WiFi_Free network in the list of available networks; Open the browser and log in using your mos.ru account by entering your login and password, or by phone number. The access code will be sent via SMS.

    Stay in touch with your family and friends, follow the news of the State University of Management on all available platforms, study and have fun.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 10/29/2024

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: FACT SHEET: President Joe  Biden Announces $3 Billion to Strengthen Port Infrastructure, Create Good-Paying and Union Jobs, Bring Cleaner Air to  Communities

    Source: The White House

    President Biden will travel to the Port of Baltimore to announce $147 million in awards, which will support up to 2,000 good-paying and union jobs at the Port

    Today, President Biden will travel to the Port of Baltimore to announce a $3 billion investment from his Inflation Reduction Act to improve and electrify port infrastructure, support an estimated 40,000 good-paying and union jobs, reduce pollution, and combat the climate crisis.  The announcement includes $147 million in awards for the Maryland Port Administration, which will support over 2,000 good-paying and union jobs by enabling the purchase and installation of zero-emission port equipment, charging infrastructure, and power improvements. During the visit, President Biden will highlight how his Investing in America agenda is making an historic impact on communities and workers in Baltimore and across the country.

    $3 Billion Investment to Strengthen Port Infrastructure

    Today, President Biden is announcing $3 billion in Environmental Protection Agency Clean Ports grants, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, to 55 selectees across 27 states and territories, including $147 million in implementation and planning grants for the Maryland Port Administration. The nation’s ports are the lynchpin of our nation’s supply chains and employ over 100,000 union workers across the United States.

    This funding will protect and create good-paying and union jobs and better working conditions by upgrading port operations and infrastructure to cleaner equipment, while ensuring cleaner air for port workers and nearby communities. The Clean Ports program will support an estimated 40,000 jobs across the economy, including over 6,500 manufacturing jobs, and is expected to increase demand for American manufactured electric cargo handling equipment at least six-fold over the life of the program.

    While a major economic driver, our nation’s ports are a major source of pollution for workers and surrounding communities. Communities living near ports and other transportation corridors are exposed to toxic pollution which can cause respiratory and cardiovascular harm, especially in children. The Clean Ports program will improve air quality at ports across the country by installing clean, zero-emission freight and ferry technologies along with associated infrastructure, eliminating more than 3 million metric tons of carbon pollution over the first ten years of implementation, equivalent to 391,220 homes’ energy use for one year. The funds announced today will support the purchase of battery-electric and hydrogen-powered human-operated and human-maintained equipment, including over 1,500 units of cargo handling equipment, 1,000 drayage trucks, 10 locomotives, and 20 vessels, as well as shore power systems for ocean-going vessels, battery-electric and hydrogen vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure, and solar power generation. The Clean Ports program advances the President’s Justice40 Initiative and aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal for a zero-emission freight sector.

    Investing in the Port of Baltimore

    President Biden will announce the funding at the Port of Baltimore in Maryland. The Port of Baltimore is one of the busiest ports on the East Coast and is a major hub for the import and export of vehicles. More than 20,000 workers support daily Port operations, including unionized longshoreman and truckers. Each day the Port’s economic impact represents $192 million or more than $70 billion a year, representing 13% of Maryland’s gross domestic product.

    The Maryland Port Administration’s Equipment Electrification and Terminal Decarbonization project has been selected to receive over $145 million to purchase zero-emission cargo handling equipment and drayage trucks and facilitate the transition of the port to a zero-emission facility, as well as a nearly $2 million planning grant to help the port chart a path to greater emissions reductions in the future, delivering cleaner air for the port and neighboring communities. The port is a major economic engine for the region, providing thousands of jobs and contributing billions of dollars to the local economy—and this new investment will support over 2,000 jobs, including more than 350 manufacturing jobs.

    Creating Good Paying, Union Jobs in Baltimore and Across the Country

    President Biden is the most pro-union president in history. He’s the first and only president to walk a picket line, and under his Administration, unions have secured historic labor wins. Last month, President Biden signed an Executive Order that calls on agencies to promote strong labor standards such as family-sustaining wages, workplace safety, and the free and fair choice to join a union, and encourages agencies to implement these standards through their Investing in America programs. This builds on a record of pro-worker accomplishments throughout the Biden-Harris Administration. For example:

    • Workers are filing for union representation at twice the rate they were at the start of the Biden-Harris Administration—the first Administration in five decades to have an increase in union petitions. In Maryland, union petitions increased by 55% percent. The National Labor Relations Board has met this historic moment by reducing unnecessary delays in union representation elections and by expanding remedies available to workers when their employers engage in unionbusting.
    • The vast majority of Investing in America programs require grantees to pay Davis-Bacon prevailing wages for workers. The Administration also published the first update to Davis-Bacon prevailing wages in nearly 40 years, which will increase pay for one million construction workers over time.
    • The Department of the Treasury finalized a rule implementing prevailing wage and apprenticeship bonus credits for certain clean energy projects funded by the President’s Inflation Reduction Act to ensure clean energy workers are paid good wages and that these projects create equitable pipelines to these good jobs.

    Building on Historic Investments in Maryland’s Infrastructure and Economy

    Today’s announcement builds on a historic investment in the state of Maryland under the Biden-Harris Administration. To date, the Investing in America agenda has delivered over $13 billion for over 970 projects in Maryland, spurring over $3 billion in private sector investments.

    This includes a number of projects in Baltimore, for example:

    • $4.7 billion for Amtrak’s Frederick Douglass Tunnel—which will replace the 150-year-old Baltimore and Potomac tunnel that is currently one of the largest rail bottlenecks on the Northeast Corridor;
    • $213 million to replace the Maryland Transit Administration’s entire fleet of 52 aging light rail vehicles with new, modern rail cars;
    • $80 million for interchange improvements at the I-895 Baltimore Harbor Tunnel;
    • $68 million for upgrades at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall airport;
    • $43 million to identify and replace toxic lead pipes across Maryland;
    • $31 million to rehabilitate a section of the Dundalk Marine Terminal at the Port; and
    • $9 million to Baltimore City Public Schools for clean school buses.

    Baltimore was also named an Investing in America Workforce Hub, where the Administration is bringing together industry, government, educators, non-profits and unions to help workers in Maryland access good jobs created by private and public sector investments in the state. In November 2023, Hub partners announced new efforts to train and hire local residents to support major infrastructure projects. These commitments include one from the State of Maryland to incorporate a Project Labor Agreement in the bidding process for nine projects covering $9 billion in investment and 11,000 jobs—including 7,000 construction jobs. One of these commitments includes Amtrak promising to invest at least $5 million in funding received through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to create recruitment and training programs for new jobs for Baltimore residents as part of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program.

    The Department of Commerce also awarded the Maryland Department of Labor $23 million through the Economic Development Administration’s Good Jobs Challenge to create a new apprenticeship model for the growing offshore wind industry in Maryland, working with leading employers and local unions to develop a training model focused on underserved populations. The Maritime Administration is further supporting the Maryland offshore wind industry through a $47 million grant to Sparrows Point Steel to retool, a former Bethlehem Steel mill in Baltimore, to establish an offshore wind logistics and manufacturing hub in partnership with the United Steelworkers.

    The Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda has also unleashed $3 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in Maryland, including:

    • A $350 million investment by United Safety Technology in Baltimore to produce critical medical supplies, including personal protective equipment.
    • A $300 million investment by AstraZeneca in a state-of-the-art facility in Rockville to launch life-saving cell therapy platforms for cancer trials.
    • A $230 million investment by Catalent to expand its advanced gene therapy manufacturing campus in Harmans.

    The Administration’s Investing in America agenda continues to make critical investments that will improve the lives and futures of all Marylanders.

    The Biden-Harris Administration’s Ongoing Support for Baltimore

    President Biden was last in Baltimore in the immediate aftermath of the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge, which claimed the lives of six construction workers and closed ship traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore. There, he said his Administration would move heaven and earth to reopen the Port of Baltimore as quickly as possible to support Maryland’s workers and economy. A Unified Command led by the United States Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers cleared 50,000 tons of wreckage from the channel, allowing the Port to fully reopen 78 days after the bridge collapse. The Department of Labor and Small Business Administration mobilized quickly to support workers and small businesses impacted by the port closure, including thousands of Longshoremen and Teamsters who rely on the port for their livelihood. And the Department of Transportation and the Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force worked to limit supply chain disruptions, keep costs down, and ensure cargo quickly returned to the Port once it reopened. Today, port workers are back on the job, once again moving more than 100,000 tons of cargo per day.

    The President also committed to rebuilding the bridge as quickly as possible. Thanks to close collaboration with the Department of Transportation, Maryland is on the fast track to rebuild the bridge. In July, the Federal Highway Administration issued a Categorical Exclusion, allowing the project to clear a critical permitting milestone. And in August, Maryland selected a contractor to design and build the new bridge.  Immediately following the bridge collapse, President Biden called on Congress to fully fund the replacement bridge and his Administration reiterated this request in July.

    The Biden-Harris Administration also committed to holding the owners of the DALI cargo ship accountable for the disaster. Just last week, the Department of Justice announced a settlement of over $100 million with the owners of the DALI to cover federal government costs incurred in responding to the collapse. While the State of Maryland continues to pursue a separate lawsuit for damages incurred to the local economy, community, and families impacted by the collapse, the Biden-Harris Administration remains committed to working with Baltimore and the State of Maryland to ensure the city’s long-term recovery and success.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Supporting food and drink businesses

    Source: Scottish Government

    New funding to promote regional products.

    Projects from across Scotland are being awarded grants of up to £5,000 to help to promote regional food and drink products and open up new markets.

    Food festivals, workshops and markets celebrating produce from shellfish to whisky are among the 17 local and collaborative projects to receive support from the latest round of the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership’s Regional Food Fund.

    The Fund, managed by Scotland Food & Drink, supports regional growth by backing projects to promote and sell produce from their areas.

    Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said:

    “We have some of the best food and drink in the world – the industry is worth £15 billion to our economy, supports thousands of jobs and businesses and is a success story at home and internationally. The Regional Food Fund is providing much-needed support to local businesses, producers and community groups to showcase the best products that their regions have to offer.

    “Through this fund we have seen more than £750,000 awarded from the available funding to successful projects across Scotland. This round of funding celebrates some incredible produce at some wonderful locations that mean people will benefit from it all across the country, whether taking part in cookery events on Arran, learning about wild food in Glasgow or improving their culinary skills at Fife’s Cambo Snowdrop Festival.

    “I look forward to hearing how each of these exciting projects develops.”

    Scotland Food & Drink Head of Regional Food Fiona Richmond said:

    “It’s truly exciting to support 17 more collaborative food and drink projects through this latest round of the Regional Food Fund. The quality of the applications reflects the passion and commitment to enhancing local food and drink initiatives, which are vital to the continued growth of Scotland’s food, drink, and tourism sectors.

    “We congratulate all this year’s recipients and are eager to watch these projects unfold in the coming months, knowing they will leave a lasting and positive impact on communities across the country.”

    Background

    Regional Food Fund | Scotland Food & Drink (foodanddrink.scot)

    In 2018, the Connect Local Regional Food Fund was launched consisting of 4 funding rounds, which saw more than £350,000 awarded across 78 projects. In 2021, the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership’s Regional Food Fund was launched in place of the previous Connect Local Regional Food Fund. This will be the fifth round of the fund under Scotland Food & Drink which has seen more than £400,000 awarded across 87 projects to date.

    The successful applicants in this round are:

    Bellevue Farm, Arran. Development of Eating Facility          £5,000

    In collaboration with Arran’s Food Journey regional food group, project will create a catering facility within Bellevue Barn which can be used to showcase local produce & offer unique eating experiences.

    Cambo Heritage Trust, Fife. Made in Fife at the Cambo Snowdrop Festival £4,989

    Project builds on success of the café, snowdrop festival and Green Market programme to host market events with cookery workshops featuring ‘root to stalk’ methods and provide a space for other regional food and drink traders with the opportunity to showcase their products in a range of markets called ‘Made in Fife’ at Cambo Gardens.

    Clyde Fishermen’s Trust/Clyde Fishermen’s Association, Glasgow. Festival of the Sea £5,000

    Winter festival of the Sea, building on track record of delivering seafood festivals. Event will provide a collaborative showcase that brings together West Coast fishermen, seafood producers, and culinary experts to celebrate Scotland’s rich fishing heritage and exceptional produce.

    Dornoch BID, Highlands. Food on the Firth £1,300

    Series of out of season, food-focused weeks in Dornoch covering different sectors such as meat and shellfish.

    East Lothian Food and Drink, East Lothian. East Lothian Food and Drink Recipe Book £5,000

    East Lothian  Project will create a recipe book that features East Lothian Food and Drink members. From cocktails from Buck & Birch to non- alcoholic mocktails featuring Brose Oats. From our East coast seas to our rolling hills and farmland.

    Essential Edinburgh, Edinburgh. Eat Out Edinburgh £5,000

    Eat Out Edinburgh will be celebrating all things food and drink at a quieter time of the year, encouraging locals to eat out in the city centre supporting their local producers, suppliers, hospitality businesses and the local economy. Funds will support a promotional campaign to achieve this.

    Falkirk Delivers, Falkirk. Falkirk Producers Market Growth Initiative       £4,725

    Project aims to expand the reach and impact of the market by attracting new food and drink vendors and enhancing their promotional capabilities. Fund will support free stalls for 15 producers and digital campaign.

    Fife Whisky Festival Ltd, Fife. Fife Whisky Festival £4,985

    New Sunday event to showcase smaller, local food and drink producers under the festival umbrella. Event will provide cross-selling and marketing opportunities.

    Food Lochaber (part of Lochaber Environmental Group), Highlands. Food Lochaber £5,000

    Project aims to encourage Lochaber producers to work together to sell to local customers and, where appropriate, increase their production of food by giving them access to an online market place run by the producers.

    Forth Valley Food & Drink. Flavours of Forth Valley £5,000

    Forth Valley  Development project to support growth & sustainability of the group. Activities include strategic review; member showcase and local food film screening events.       

    Galloway Food Hub CIC, Dumfries and Galloway. Galloway Food Hub PR Campaign £5,000

    PR & digital campaign to promote this online marketplace for local producers.  

    Granton Project CIC, Edinburgh. The Pitt Market £5,000

    Creation of first collaborative market with local producers, street food traders and the community. This event will showcase the best of regional produce and local entrepreneurs and startups.       

    Great Perthshire. Perth & Kinross Farmers Markets          £5,000

    Project will bring the existing four Perth & Kinross farmers’ markets together to present a shared proposition to their customers & shoppers, collaborate on good practice & common objectives. Working group, shared information strategy & forum are amongst some of the activities planned.     

    Rosemains Steading CIC, Midlothian. Rosemains Steadings Markets £5,000

    Creation of regular markets at this collaborative hub for entrepreneurs, featuring new stalls, tastings & demonstrations.  

    Scottish Food & Drink Histories Partnership Lab (University of Glasgow), Glasgow. Scottish Food Heritage Symposium: Tea £5,000

    In partnership with Mackintosh at the Willow, project will debut a one-day symposium of history talks, live demonstrations, tasting sessions & panel discussions.     

    Scottish Maritime Museum, Ayrshire. Christmas Market £5,000

    Expansion of Christmas market to include food and drink producers in collaboration with Ayrshire Food An’ A’ That regional food group

    Scottish Wild Food Festival, Glasgow. Wild Food Producers Showcase, £5,000

    Various initiatives to increase promotion & sales of wild food products/wild food tourism experiences such as wild food directory; digital activities & market stalls at events     

    TOTAL         17 Applicants                   TOTAL GRANT CLAIM FUNDING   £80,999

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SED leads Mainland study tour for students of senior secondary subject of Citizenship and Social Development to visit Jiangxi (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    SED leads Mainland study tour for students of senior secondary subject of Citizenship and Social Development to visit Jiangxi (with photos)
    SED leads Mainland study tour for students of senior secondary subject of Citizenship and Social Development to visit Jiangxi (with photos)
    ******************************************************************************************

         The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, together with more than 100 students and teachers from Kowloon True Light School joining the first Mainland study tour of the senior secondary subject of Citizenship and Social Development (CS) to Jiangxi, today (October 29) attended the kick-off ceremony of the tour at Ganzhou Middle School and visited a number of spots in Jiangxi.     Addressing the ceremony, Dr Choi said that Mainland study tours form an integral part of the CS curriculum that enables students to understand the latest developments and achievements of the country in person. The Education Bureau (EDB) has arranged for over 90 000 students to visit different places on the Mainland since last year and received very positive comments from students and teachers. To provide students with a more diversified learning experience, the number of routes has increased to 28 in this academic year, with 10 routes outside Guangdong Province for four to five days.     Dr Choi expressed gratitude to the Fourth Bureau of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs of the Ministry of Education, the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the Department of Education of Jiangxi Province for their care for Hong Kong students, and the Ganzhou Municipal Education Bureau for its thoughtful arrangements, facilitating the smooth implementation of the study tour.     She said that the EDB will continue leading students to undertake study tours on themes such as history and culture, aerospace technology, rural revitalisation, economic development and environmental conservation to further enrich their learning experience. She hoped that students will treasure these precious learning opportunities to integrate reading with travelling, delve into the history, culture and national affairs of the country, and strengthen their affection for and sense of belonging to the nation.     Following the ceremony, Dr Choi signed a Memorandum of Understanding on education co-operation between Jiangxi and Hong Kong with a representative from the Department of Education of Jiangxi Province. She also witnessed the pairing up of Kowloon True Light School and Ganzhou Middle School as sister schools. Subsequently, she and the delegation visited the memorial garden for the Long March Starting Point of the Central Red Army and the departure place of the first ferry of the Long March to learn about the Long March Spirit.     The four-day study tour began yesterday (October 28). Dr Choi led members of the tour to visit Sanbai Mountain in Anyuan County, where the origin of Dongjiang is located. They attended an activity in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Dongjiang water supply to Hong Kong to pay tribute to the country for its effort in protecting the source of drinking water. After that, the delegation visited the national education base for Hong Kong youths and the museum on the origin of Dongjiang water to learn about the history of Dongjiang water supply to Hong Kong.     Dr Choi will depart for Beijing tomorrow (October 30) to continue her visit. The delegation will continue to tour locations in Jiangxi to learn about the local history, culture and enterprise development.

     
    Ends/Tuesday, October 29, 2024Issued at HKT 18:00

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Review of the Family Relationships Services Program

    Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers

    The Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP

    Media Release

    The Albanese Labor Government has today released the final report of the review of the Family Relationship Services Program (FRSP) from Mr Andrew Metcalfe AO.

    The FRSP supports separated and separating families to resolve issues outside court. Since its introduction in the mid-2000s it has become a critical element of Australia’s approach to family law, and assists over 100,000 clients each year.

    The FRSP has remained largely unchanged since its introduction. Mr Metcalfe was asked to consider how the program can continue to best meet the needs of separating Australian families into the future.

    The report affirms the important contribution of the FRSP in helping families separate safely and in the best interests of any children involved, without the stress or expense of going to court. It also acknowledges the significant ongoing demand for these services.

    Key recommendations include:

    • restructuring to increase flexibility in design, delivery and administration
    • enhancing service delivery through increasing access to case management, child-inclusive practice, legally-assisted dispute resolution and online resources, and
    • establishing a dedicated stream for separating First Nations families.

    The Review will build on the Albanese Government’s significant investments to prevent family, domestic and sexual violence against women and children, and support those who experience it.

    Following National Cabinet last Friday, the Australian Government announced an $80 million package to ensure children who witness and experience family, domestic and sexual violence are appropriately supported.

    This includes funding to expand the FRSP’s Supporting Children After Separation Program (SCASP). Consistent with the Metcalfe Review’s findings that the FRSP provides important services for separating families, this funding will expand the SCASP to provide specialised, longer-term support for children of separated families who are already engaged in counselling support, to avoid needing to transfer those cases to a Specialised Family Violence Service.

    On behalf of the Australian Government I acknowledge everyone who shared their views and expertise with the review team and thank Mr Metcalfe for his work.

    I would also like to acknowledge the early work of Mr Graeme Head AO, who had initially commenced the Review of the FRSP and the Australian Institute for Family Studies for supporting the Reviewers in the conduct of the Review.

    The Government is carefully considering the report.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Second reading speech – Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024

    Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers

    Check Against Delivery

    Introduction

    The digital economy has unleashed enormous benefits for Australians. But it has also increased the privacy risks we face through the collection and storage of enormous amounts of our personal data.

    The Privacy Act 1988 represented the first time that a comprehensive, integrated set of legal rules protecting interests in privacy existed in Australia. On introducing it, Attorney-General Lionel Bowen told the Parliament that “enormous developments in technology for the processing of information are providing new and, in some respects, undesirable opportunities for the greater use of personal information.”

    In that respect, little has changed. Evolutions in technology and the way people use it continue to vex those who share information online, and those charged with regulating it. It is essential that Australians are protected by a legal framework that is flexible and agile enough to adapt to changes in the world around them.

    The Privacy Act has not kept pace with the adoption of digital technologies. The vast data flows that underpin digital ecosystems have also created the conditions for significant harms – like major data breaches that have revealed the sensitive information of millions of Australians, exposing us to the risk of identity fraud and scams.

    Strong privacy laws and protections are critical to building public trust and confidence in the digital economy, and driving the investments needed to keep people’s data safe.

    The right to privacy is a fundamental human right. As Sir Zelman Cowen said in his 1969 Boyer Lectures, a person without privacy is a person without dignity. We must be vigilant in ensuring that evolving technology does not erode our ability to protect information about who we are, what we do and what we believe from being misused.

    The Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 is a significant step forward for Australian privacy law. It begins the much-needed work of updating our privacy laws to be fit-for-purpose in the digital age.

    With this Bill, the Australian Government is taking the next step to ensure Australians’ privacy is respected and protected. It implements a first tranche of agreed recommendations of the Privacy Act Review, ahead of consultation on a second tranche of reforms.

    It also delivers on a commitment made by the Albanese Government following the National Cabinet held in May to address gender-based violence, by outlawing the practice of “doxxing”, or the malicious release of personal data online.

    Schedule 1 of the Bill will amend the Privacy Act to enhance its effectiveness, strengthen the enforcement tools available to the privacy regulator and better facilitate safe overseas data flows. It will require the development of a Children’s Online Privacy Code, streamline information-sharing in emergencies and following eligible data breaches, and increase transparency when entities are automating significant decisions which use personal information.

    Schedule 2 of the Bill will introduce a new statutory tort to provide redress for serious invasions of privacy.

    Schedule 3 of the Bill will amend the Criminal Code Act 1995 to introduce new criminal offences to target the harmful practice of doxxing.

    Schedule 1 – Privacy Act amendments

    Schedule 1 begins the work of bringing Australia’s privacy protection framework into the digital age. The amendments re-affirm the Government’s view that entities have a responsibility to protect Australians’ personal information and not treat it merely as a commercial asset.

    Children’s privacy

    While all Australians face privacy risks in the online environment, children are particularly vulnerable. For many Australian children, social media has been part of their lives from the time they were born. They have never lived in a world without it.

    It has been estimated that by the time a child turns 13, around 72 million pieces of data will be collected about them.

    This Bill will require the development of a Children’s Online Privacy Code which will apply to social media and other internet services which are likely to be accessed by children. The Children’s Online Privacy Code will specify how these entities must comply with privacy obligations in relation to children. The Code will align to the extent possible with similar codes in like-minded countries, such as the United Kingdom.

    The Code will be developed by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, which will be provided with $3 million in funding over three years to do this important work.

    Information-sharing declarations after data breaches and emergencies

    Cyber incidents are growing in number, speed and sophistication. Data breaches are exposing millions of Australians to risk of fraud, identity theft and scams. This Bill will promote the importance of implementing technical and organisational controls – such as encrypting data and training staff on data protection – to address information security risks.

    It will also support more effective responses to data breaches by introducing eligible data breach declarations. A declaration will permit the sharing of personal information following a notifiable data breach for the purpose of preventing or reducing the risk of harm to individuals.

    Sharing information under these circumstances will enable entities such as banks to act quickly to prevent the misuse of compromised credentials. Safeguards are included to ensure that a declaration can only be made for a purpose that is related to preventing or reducing a risk of harm to individuals arising from a misuse of personal information from the eligible data breach.

    An eligible data breach declaration can be issued quickly and will make clear the kinds of personal information that may be shared, and with whom they may be shared, which may include state and territory agencies.

    Similarly, emergency declarations made under the Act permit personal information sharing following disasters or emergencies to support response efforts, including to assist affected individuals. The Bill will require emergency declarations to specify the kinds of personal information, types of entities permitted to share information and the purposes for which it may be shared. These changes will ensure that individuals’ privacy is protected while also addressing their broader interests, and will support enhanced coordination with states and territories in emergencies and disasters. 

    Overseas data flows

    The flow of information across national borders is critical for international trade and services in a globalised world. To support the free flow of information with appropriate protections, the Bill provides for countries with substantially similar data privacy laws to Australia to be prescribed. Businesses and individuals will be able to have greater confidence that personal information will be kept safe. This will also reduce costs for business when entering into contracts and agreements with overseas entities.

    Enforcement

    Effective enforcement of the Privacy Act is essential to protect Australians’ interests. This Bill expands the suite of regulatory powers available to the Information Commissioner to effectively enforce the Act and provides a broader range of enforcement options available to do so. This will include new civil penalties and infringement notices for less serious privacy breaches.

    To investigate potential privacy breaches in an increasingly complex digital landscape, the Information Commissioner requires modern investigative powers. This Bill provides the Information Commissioner with additional powers, including for search and seizure, which may be exercised under warrant when investigating breaches of the Act, and scalable enforcement options.

    The Bill will empower a court to make appropriate orders where it has determined that an entity has breached a civil penalty provision, which may include compensation for loss or damage suffered.

    Effective privacy protection requires proactive regulatory action. This Bill also strengthens the Information Commissioner’s capacity by expanding monitoring and assessment functions. The Bill also introduces new public inquiry powers which will enable the Information Commissioner to inquire into specified matters as directed or approved. This will enable the Information Commissioner to keep closer oversight of threats to privacy, including issues of a systemic nature, as they emerge.  

    Automated decision making

    The safe and responsible development and deployment of automated decision making presents significant opportunities. These systems have the potential to increase the efficiency, accuracy and consistency of decisions, and they present opportunities for improved outcomes in health, environment, defence and national security.

    The Bill will provide individuals with transparency about the use of their personal information in automated decisions which significantly affect their interests. Entities will need to specify the kinds of personal information used in these sorts of decisions in their privacy policies.  

    Importantly these requirements will apply to decisions that are wholly or substantially automated, ensuring that the new requirements cannot be avoided by ‘tokenistic’ human involvement in a decision-making process.

    Schedule 2 – statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy

    A statutory tort applying to breaches of privacy has been talked about in Australia for a long, long time – as early as 1969, when Sir Zelman Cowen, then Vice-Chancellor of the University of New England, endorsed legislation to create an actionable right to seek redress for breaches of privacy.

    There is currently no tortious right of action for invasion of privacy under the Act or any other Commonwealth, state or territory statute. The creation of a statutory tort was recommended by the Australian Law Reform Commission in its 2014 Report “Serious Invasions of Privacy in the Digital Era”, which I commissioned in 2013. It has been recommended by many other inquiries before and since.

    In its 2014 report, the Commission stated the creation of a statutory tort would “fill an increasingly conspicuous gap in Australian law, helping to protect the privacy of Australians, while respecting and reinforcing other fundamental rights and values, including freedom of expression”.

    Schedule 2 to the Bill will provide a new statutory cause of action, or tort, for individuals who have suffered a serious invasion of their privacy. This will include an intrusion on a person’s physical privacy, so the tort will complement the Privacy Act, which focusses on the narrower concept of information privacy.

    There are parts of our lives that we reasonably expect to be able to keep to ourselves. The freedom to enjoy a private and family life, and express ourselves and our beliefs in safety, is critical to our wellbeing and dignity.

    Ensuring that individuals have a clear right to seek a legal remedy against people or entities who seriously invade their privacy is a key part of ensuring that our privacy laws keep pace with community expectations and advances in technology.

    Schedule 2 to the Bill provides that an individual has a cause of action for serious privacy invasions, either by an intrusion upon the individual’s seclusion – for example by physically intruding into their private space – or by misuse of their information, in circumstances where the individual had a reasonable expectation of privacy.

    A plaintiff will have a cause of action without having to prove that any damage arose from the invasion of privacy. The damage or harm a plaintiff suffers will be a relevant factor in assessing the seriousness of the invasion, and the remedies that may be awarded.

    For a claim to succeed, the plaintiff will need to demonstrate the public interest in protecting their privacy outweighs any competing public interest raised by the defendant.

    In addition to the public interest balancing test, a range of defences will apply, including where the conduct of the defendant was required or authorised by law or was necessary because of a serious threat to life, health or safety.

    The Bill will provide specific exemptions from liability under the tort, including for journalism, enforcement bodies and intelligence agencies. These exemptions are important to protect press freedom and ensure that legitimate activities of government can be delivered effectively.

    The journalism exemption provides that invasions of privacy which occur in the course of the collection, preparation or publication of journalistic material, by a journalist, their employer, or someone assisting them, would not be liable under the tort. The Bill requires that to be considered a ‘journalist’, the person must work in that professional capacity and be subject to applicable standards of professional conduct or a code of practice.

    The journalism exemption also operates in addition to the requirement that a court balance the public interest in the plaintiff’s privacy with other public interests. This may involve consideration of the public interest in freedom of the media, or freedom of expression.

    A court will have the flexibility to choose the remedy or remedies that are most appropriate in the circumstances. This may include compensation for non-economic loss or an order requiring the defendant to apologise to the plaintiff.

    Schedule 3 – doxxing criminal offences

    Schedule 3 of the Bill will amend the Criminal Code 1995 to create new criminal offences targeting the release of personal data in a manner that is menacing or harassing—a practice known as ‘doxxing’.

    The prevalence of social media and online platforms has rapidly increased the capacity of malicious individuals to obtain personal data, and to release that online—either to the public at large on social media platforms, or to their associates on forum and messaging platforms.

    Doxxing exposes victims to significant and enduring harm, including public embarrassment, humiliation, shaming, discrimination, stalking and identify theft and financial fraud.  It can lead to threats to a victim’s life and safety, and the lives and safety of their families and friends. It can inflict significant and lasting psychological harm.

    Doxxing is a damaging form of abuse that can affect all Australians but is often used against women in the context of domestic and family violence.

    The creation of this offence also responds to a recent, shocking incident of a group who were targeted with doxxing on the basis of their religion.

    The Bill creates a new offence that applies where a person:

    • uses a carriage service to make available, publish or otherwise distribute the personal data of one or more individuals; and
    • the person does so in a way that reasonable persons would regard as being menacing or harassing towards those individuals.

    The new offence will carry a maximum penalty of 6 years’ imprisonment.

    The Bill also introduces a further offence, with a more serious maximum penalty of 7 years’ imprisonment, where a person or group is targeted because of their race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, disability, nationality or national or ethnic origin.

    The Government recognises that there are circumstances in which people legitimately publish and distribute personal data, including individuals’ names, contact details and movements.

    The new offences will apply only where a reasonable person would consider the conduct to be, in all the circumstances, menacing or harassing, to ensure that legitimate conduct is not inappropriately criminalised.

    ‘Personal data’, in the context of these new offences, means information about an individual that enables them to be identified, contacted or located. This includes their name, photograph, telephone number, email address, online account, residential or work address, and place of education or worship. This definition recognises that doxxing can occur in a number of different ways.

    The Albanese Government is committed to the protection of Australians from online harm, and these new offences will ensure that perpetrators of doxxing are held to account.

    These new offences will complement work that is underway across government, to strengthen online safety for all Australians.  This includes the takedown powers of the eSafety Commissioner, the Cyberbullying Scheme and the Adult Cyber Abuse Scheme under the Online Safety Act 2021.

    Conclusion

    This Bill is an important first step in the Government’s privacy reform agenda, but it will not be the last. Over the coming months, the Attorney-General’s Department will develop the next tranche of privacy reform for targeted consultation, including draft provisions. The Government is approaching this important reform work carefully, to ensure increased privacy protections are balanced alongside other impacts, and that we deliver the fairest outcome for all Australians.

    After many years of inaction, this Labor Government is committed to genuine privacy reform. The Australian people expect no less – for themselves and their children.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic Day at Engineering and Technology School No. 777

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    On the eve of the autumn holidays, Engineering and Technology School No. 777 held a University Day with representatives of the Polytechnic University.

    The event began with a “Dialogue Without Ties” — a meeting of representatives of leading enterprises, universities and other organizations. Together with Natalia Mokhova, an assistant at the Higher School of Automation and Robotics, the schoolchildren discussed modern engineering competencies, the development plan for mechanical engineering, and robotics and safety issues.

    Throughout the day, students of all ages attended a variety of workshops and lectures from university students and teachers.

    For students in grades 1-2, active breaks were organized to create a team spirit. Children from grades 3-4 learned about coding at the “Mathematical ABC” master class, created an embroidery logo of the Polytechnic University, depicted the Hydrotower, created a paint-by-numbers project, and learned about the historical buildings of the Polytechnic University.

    The fifth-graders took quizzes on “Science and Technology”. They also solved logical problems and participated in the training game “Team Power: Together to Success”. The sixth-graders competed in an intellectual game and learned the basics of science.

    Seventh-graders learned about the sociotechnical boundaries of progress from associate professor of the Humanitarian Institute Ivan Kolomeitsev. Teachers of the Higher School of Technosphere Safety held a lesson for eighth-graders with situational tasks on life safety. There were also master classes on financial literacy and intellectual quizzes “Own Game”. Ninth-graders were told about the features of the profession “Cybersecurity Specialist” and how light and heat appear in homes.

    Associate Professor of the Higher School of Biomedical Systems and Technologies Ivan Sukhov presented high school students with the work of specialists in the field of bioengineering, bioinformatics and biophysics. Students in grades 10 and 11 launched the process of managing a “smart home” at a master class from senior lecturer of the Higher School of Engineering and Physics Vadim Panevin and observed the behavior of liquid nitrogen. An interactive lecture by Associate Professor of the Higher School of Software Engineering Alexander Shchukin was devoted to a current review of professions in the field of information technology.

    In addition, the schoolchildren learned about the areas of training in the programs of secondary vocational education, bachelor’s, master’s and postgraduate studies, about the conditions of admission and study at the Polytechnic. During the breaks, the children visited an exhibition dedicated to the 125th anniversary of the university.

    The event ended with a concert in which the students performed vocal numbers.

    Such events allow schoolchildren to get to know the educational institution and its specialties better, which will help them decide on their future profession. This is an important step in attracting talented young people to the Polytechnic University and providing it with qualified personnel in the future, – noted Elizaveta Lapshina, manager of the Center for Work with Educational Organizations of SPbPU.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Power of the Platform. Polytech at the Largest Engineering Forum

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The All-Russian forum “Power of the Platform” was held in Moscow — the main engineering event of the year from Nanosoft, the Russian developer of the nanoCAD CAD platform and a partner of SPbPU. Polytechnic was represented at the conference by the Civil Engineering Institute and the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport.

    The event was attended by the ISI Director Marina Petrochenko and Senior Lecturer of the Higher School of Psychology and Social Sciences Liliya Talipova. Marina Vyacheslavovna gave a report on the “Role of the University in the Transition to Import-Substituting Software, Training and Independent Assessment of the Qualifications of Specialists”.

    It is worth noting that among the forum participants representing design institutes, construction, development and engineering companies, there were a large number of graduates and students of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University Institute of Civil Engineering.

    Nanosoft is the largest Russian developer of engineering software: computer-aided design (CAD), information modeling (BIM) and support for industrial and civil construction projects (ICC) at all stages of the life cycle, as well as end-to-end digitalization of all production processes.

    Therefore, representatives of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport of SPbPU also took an active part in the conference. At the session “Education and retraining of personnel. Cases of import substitution of CAD/TIM in the educational sphere” Pavel Andrienko, Deputy Director of IMMiT for educational and methodological work, and Pavel Kovalev, Deputy Director of IMMiT for educational activities, spoke about the experience of the Polytechnic University.

    Pavel Andrienko gave a presentation on “NanoCAD Mechanics PRO: experience of implementation in educational processes at SPbPU”, in which he presented the achieved results in import substitution of CAD in the educational process and retraining of IMMiT faculty.

    Also at the conference, Oleg Egorychev, Director of Programs for Development of Interaction with Educational and Scientific Organizations at Nanosoft, announced the launch of the development of a multimedia book. Work on it was carried out under the supervision of Anatoly Popovich, Director of IMMiT. The book is dedicated to solving applied problems in the field of mechanical engineering using NanoCAD Mechanics PRO.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Law reform in the age of AI

    Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers

    *Check against delivery*

    Acknowledgments omitted

    Welcome to my hometown.

    I grew up right here in Fremantle. My primary school is around the corner on Henry Street. My childhood home on the same road as Fremantle Prison, a building now on the World Heritage List. Back then, home to 337 of Western Australia’s prisoners.

    I enjoyed the freedom of a social media free childhood. The only technology that terrified me was the Swan Blimp, roaring in the skies above Esplanade Park, while Fremantle boomed with the America’s Cup. So technology can scare us, but also enable us to achieve greatness.

    I now live in North Perth. The Australia II still lives in Fremantle at the Maritime Museum. It was first launched in 1982, a year away from its history-making America’s Cup win. With a winged keel and the 1980s best 3D design.

    As the TELEX message that was sent amongst the designers said:

    “ABOUT TO TAKE YACHT DESIGN INTO THE SPACE AGE. 
    DARTH VADER LOOKS GOOD IN COMPUTER IN 3 DIMENSION WILL TEST ON WEDNESDAY 10th JUNE, BEN SKYWALKER”

    That was designer Ben Lexcen’s cryptic Telex message of May 1981. The Australia II team did enter the yacht race space age. And far away down in Hobart, an eccentric politician made a bold prediction.

    Barry Jones had just published a book, called ‘Sleepers, Wake!’ exploring the potential impacts of the ICT Revolution on society. The book suggested that technological innovation would be a major component of economic growth, that the increased accessibility of information would transform our lives in almost every conceivable way. The book was ridiculed by some and its claims were regarded by many as wildly exaggerated.

    Barry Jones delivered his famous prediction in a speech to a public meeting in Hobart. He predicted that by the year 2000 there would be more computers in Tasmania than cars. This prediction was considered laughable. The Mercury newspaper suggested he had lost his grip on reality. But he was right.

    Many of us start our days by turning off the alarm blaring out of our small handheld smartphone computers. We get up and dressed and put on our smart watches. We get into our car and use our GPS systems to get to work, where we log on to our work computers for a long day ahead before we can watch some TV on our smart TVs at home.

    Few in 1982 would have had the foresight to make this prediction, and few had the foresight to take it seriously.

    So, what technological advancements are we in danger of overlooking in 2024? The obvious answer is of course Artificial Intelligence.

    The age of AI

    The age of AI is now here. AI is no longer the stuff of science fiction, it is here and it is already embedding itself into our daily lives. The names are cute. Inoffensive. Co-pilot. Chat GPT. Gemini. Cyber Dynamics Model 101.

    Well, that last one is the official name of The Terminator, but I am sure the others are harmless. Australians are already using AI in the workplace. Teachers are now providing students with personalised AI chatbots to help provide additional tutoring to students needing support. AI is assisting medical doctors to scan vast data sets and gather medical insights that were previously not possible. In the public sector, the Australian Government recently conducted a six-month trial of Co-pilot for Microsoft 365. And of course, AI is also impacting the legal sector.

    Recent surveys suggest that a majority of lawyers are already using AI in their work. They are also optimistic for the potential for AI to bring significant innovation to the sector. AI tools are being developed to assist lawyers with document review, legal research and more. Most of us wish we had time to be an incredible professional, as well as an accomplished artist, writer and musician.

    Generative AI is that best version of our imagined selves. Producing music, art and video that has already won artistic competitions when submitted anonymously alongside the work of human artists.

    AI Regulation

    This is where wonder and risk collide. There are serious risks associated with the development and deployment of AI. AI has implications in copyright law, where vast amounts of data and creative work have been scraped for the training of AI models from web sources. AI generative content can also be created to mimic the works of existing Australian artists and creatives. This raises serious concerns for Australian artists and creatives, about the future of their work and livelihoods.

    As Australian Artist Ben Lee said on AI:

    “I don’t think art has ever succeeded in trying to fight technology…
    [but] we have to consider what we will lose if we put all our eggs in that basket.”

    And even if we aren’t recording artists – every Australian has eggs in this basket. We know the risks of having our sensitive data harvested and used. Your information could be training AI without your knowledge or consent.

    AI creates potential challenges in the areas of law enforcement and criminal behaviour, notably in relation to cybercrime. So we must consider the role of regulation and legislative frameworks for the development of AI.

    I am aware I am in a room of legal experts. I expect many of you may have an interest in AI. Equally, the current opportunities for law reform in the age of AI.

    It is worth noting that Barry Jones, when he made his famous prediction, was no great scientist. He studied arts and law. He had been a schoolteacher. It was deep thinking about Australian society and the road ahead of us. He couldn’t avoid the impacts of emerging technologies.

    Similarly, you all witness the iterative way in which law and society steadily adapt to each other, every day in the course of your work. Like Barry, you are in a position to see and understand the transformative impacts of new technology on how a society and its legal framework function. I hope you engage with and contribute to the current conversation about the safe and effective development and implementation of AI in Australia.

    Law reform in the age of AI

    Things are changing. Fast.

    Our regulatory approach is engaged with those changes. It is the role of law makers to balance risk with opportunity. To shield the Australian public from the dangers of AI, while not restricting the potential for AI to deliver positive and profound improvements in living standards.

    Later this month the Susan McKinnon Foundation will release new research on AI. Its report, ‘Partisanship, polarisation and social cohesion in Australia’ surveyed 3,000 Australians. It found familiar divides across many issues amongst progressives and conservatives.

    Surprisingly in one area they found agreement from left and progressive, centre and moderate, right and conservative. They all had similar results on the increased use of AI in daily life, and they all opposed the AI intrusion. Negative 15 per cent support from the left and progressives. Negative 20 per cent support from the right and conservatives.

    So Australians are looking for leadership on how best to protect themselves from potential harms. When conducting law reform we must keep front of mind the rights and needs of those who are most subject to vulnerability. To make sure those who are most disadvantaged are not put to further disadvantage.

    Some legislation is developed for specific technologies, like gene technologies or nuclear technologies. Other legislation is crafted to be technology neutral.

    The Australian Government is continually working to ensure that our robust system of existing legislative frameworks is fit-for-purpose. Capable of responding to harms, including harms enabled by AI.

    Australians know that the regulation of AI is a challenging issue. They recognise the potential dangers and benefits and the importance of getting it right. Where the community has expectations, law reform must respond to and uphold those community expectations. The laws of Australia, are ultimately, a mirror held up to our society. Our laws must reflect those expectations and beliefs of the collection of diverse individuals that make up this country.

    International developments

    The questions Australia faces are not ours alone. The United Nations has alerted the world to the growing energy demands of AI.

    Noting:

    “A request made through ChatGPT, an AI-based virtual assistant, consumes 10 times the electricity of a Google Search, reported the International Energy Agency.

    While global data is sparse, the agency estimates that in the tech hub of Ireland, the rise of AI could see data centres account for nearly 35 per cent of the country’s energy use by 2026.”

    Then there is the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act – designed to specifically address unique high-risk considerations associated with AI.

    By assigning AI systems and applications to three risk categories:

    1. unacceptable risk
    2. high-risk, and
    3. minimal risk.

    In this framework, unacceptable risk systems and applications are prohibited.

    Last year in the UK, an AI white paper was released which argues for a risk-based approach to AI regulation. The paper classifies AI systems based on the level of risk they pose. It emphasises the development of AI systems that are human-centric and trustworthy, whilst also promoting innovation through the development of AI innovation hubs to support research and development.

    In the United States, the first state-based AI legislation has been passed. Known as the Colorado AI Act, it will come into effect from February 2026. The Act requires developers of high-risk artificial intelligence systems to use reasonable care to protect consumers from foreseeable risks of algorithmic discrimination.

    Canada has proposed legislation, the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act, which is broadly aligned with the EU AI Act. The Bill established initial classes of high-impact AI systems and parameters for government to deem further classes of systems as high-impact systems. It would also require developers and deployers of general-purpose high-risk AI systems to establish accountability frameworks. It also provides new enforcement powers for the AI and Data Commissioner.

    These are all developments that the Australian Public Service is monitoring closely.

    AI regulation in Australia

    I began this speech talking about the 1980s here in Fremantle. The 1980s in Canberra saw computers occupy the desk real estate of the public service. Forty years ago, the Attorney-General’s Department assisted with the Copyright Amendment Act 1984, clarifying copyright protection for computer programs.

    The same year the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General “agreed on the desirability of uniform legislation to penalise the appropriation or use of computer data without lawful authority or excuse”.

    Forty years on the technology changed, but the work continues. The Minister for Industry and Science recently held consultations on proposals for introducing mandatory guardrails for AI in high-risk settings. This process is informing the Government’s consideration of how we can most effectively regulate the development and deployment of AI.

    The Senate Select Committee on Adopting AI is currently investigating opportunities and impacts for Australia arising out of the uptake of AI technologies. The Committee is scheduled to present its final report on the 26th of November.

    The Australian Public Service is also working to ensure that government serves as an exemplar for the responsible use of AI. On the 1st of September 2024, the Digital Transformation Agency introduced a policy for responsible use of AI in government, providing a framework for the safe and responsible use of AI by public servants.

    Attorney-General’s Department – AI law reform

    I would like to also talk specifically about some of the law reform being led by the Commonwealth Attorney-General relevant to AI regulation. This reform crosses a number of policy areas, including privacy, copyright, automated decision making, cybercrime, and technology facilitated abuse.

    Privacy reforms

    In the privacy space, Australians are becoming increasingly aware that the advent of AI technologies has introduced the potential for new privacy risks. While AI has the potential to provide major economic benefits, we know Australians are also cautious about the use of AI to make decisions which may affect them.

    In a survey by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, respondents made clear they want conditions in place before AI is used in this way. 
    In particular – they want to be told when this is the case. Our Government believes that entities have a responsibility to protect Australians’ personal information and ensure individuals have control and transparency over how it is used.

    On 12 September 2024, the Attorney-General introduced legislation to Parliament to reform the Privacy Act. The Bill implements a first tranche of reforms, agreed by Government in its response to the Privacy Act Review, ahead of consultation on a second tranche of reforms. The Bill will amend the Privacy Act to enhance its effectiveness, strengthening the enforcement tools available to the privacy regulator, while better facilitating safe overseas data flows.

    The Bill will also introduce a statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy, and criminal offences for the malicious release of an individual’s personal data online, otherwise known as ‘doxxing.’ Importantly, the Bill will provide individuals with transparency about the use of their personal information in automated decisions which significantly affect their interests. Entities will need to specify the kinds of personal information used in these sorts of decisions in their privacy policies.

    The Government is approaching this important reform work carefully. Ensuring increased privacy protections are balanced alongside other impacts, so that we deliver the fairest outcome for all Australians.

    Copyright and AI

    AI and copyright issues are another complex global challenge needing to be worked through in an Australian context. The Attorney-General’s Department is considering complex and contested AI and copyright issues in a careful and consultative way. This approach is consistent with advice from industry stakeholders that participated in a series of Copyright Roundtables in 2023.

    The Government is conscious of the need for balance. Between – on the one hand – the urgency with which the rapid development and adoption of AI demands a policy response.And on the other – the importance of taking the time necessary to get that response right, avoiding harmful repercussions.

    In December 2023, the Attorney-General established the Copyright and AI Reference Group as a standing mechanism for engagement with stakeholders. These stakeholders represent a wide range of sectors, including the creative, media and technology sectors. The Reference Group’s role is to consider copyright and AI issues. The Attorney-General’s Department’s ongoing consultation with the Reference Group is informing the development of policy for Government’s consideration.

    This work on copyright is part of the Government’s broader engagement on AI-related matters. It complements the work being led by the Minister for Industry and Science on the safe and responsible use of AI.

    Automated decision-making

    Automated decision making (or ‘ADM’) has long been part of administrative processes, inside and outside of government. When implemented thoughtfully and responsibly – which is the majority of cases – we can all benefit from faster, more efficient, and more accurate service delivery. From e-Gates at airports through to faster processing of claims, these benefits can meaningfully improve the services individuals receive from Government.

    However, where ADM is used to make decisions that adversely affect people’s rights or wellbeing, the community is understandably concerned. In particular, concerns centre on how these automation and artificial intelligence technologies are governed. When assurance processes fail, there can be life-altering impacts on individuals. As many of you would recall, this was this was vividly and painfully illustrated in the ‘Robodebt’ scandal and resulting Royal Commission.

    The Royal Commission made several recommendations to improve governance and safeguards around the use of ADM in administrative decision-making. The Government has fully accepted those recommendations and work is well underway in the Attorney-General’s Department to develop stronger safeguards.

    Australia learnt many lessons from the Robodebt scandal. We heard that individuals were able to successfully challenge particular decisions. However, most individuals did not feel they were in a position to challenge the assessments they received.

    Considerable harm across a large number of individuals was done before the system was brought to an end. The legal system was able to compensate individuals for what had happened.

    A key focus for better governing ADM, including systems that use AI, is therefore to ensure that systems and processes are sufficiently robust. To ensure that flaws in ADM design and implementation are identified and addressed before decisions are made that affect individuals. This could include ensuring that any use of ADM systems in administrative processes is consistent with the principles of administrative law.

    Cybercrime and technology-facilitated abuse

    Generative AI is being rapidly adopted by criminal actors in a range of contexts. For example, artificial intelligence is already being used to generate hyper realistic deepfakes. These can be used as a tool for sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment online.

    It is essential that the Australian Government keeps our laws under constant review. To ensure they remain fit-for-purpose in responses to rapid changes in technology – such as the emergence of AI.

    Earlier this year, the Attorney-General led legislative reform through the Criminal Code Amendment (Deepfake Sexual Material) Act 2024. The Act introduces new offences and strengthens the current criminal law framework. Ensuring the non-consensual transmission of sexual material developed or altered by such technologies is criminalised and subject to significant penalties. This came into force in September 2024.

    Partnership with the states and territories is also important, to ensure a cohesive national approach. In September, the Police Ministers Council agreed to a review of Commonwealth, state and territory frameworks. The review seeks to ensure they adequately address the issue of technology-facilitated abuse, including deepfakes.

    In March 2024, the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters commenced an inquiry into civics education, engagement and participation in Australia. This came from a referral from Government. The inquiry is considering how governments and the community can prevent or limit inaccurate or false information influencing electoral outcomes. Particularly with regard to AI, foreign interference, social media, and mis- and disinformation.

    As AI technologies continue to evolve and transform, it is critical that Australia harnesses the opportunities arising from the uptake of AI technologies. To bolster Australia’s economic and social prosperity, as well as ensuring our legal frameworks remain fit for purpose. Making sure we combat the misuse and abuse of AI for criminal purposes.

    Conclusion

    I started this speech talking about the excitement of the America’s Cup. What it did to my hometown of Fremantle. The joy that win gave the nation.

    I see that excitement again in the possibility of Artificial Intelligence. To unlock the potential of our people, wherever they live. Powered by a publicly owned National Broadband Network.

    In 2024 we stand on the doorstep of the AI age and that door is opening.

    The age of AI is now here. This is a time of great excitement, where the bounds of human creativity and imagination are currently being pushed. But it is also, a time to stop, and to carefully consider the potential hazards and pitfalls, as we move forward.

    The Australian Government is working hard to ensure our legislative framework shields Australians from the potential harms of AI technologies.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: Friday afternoons in December are the most dangerous time to drive, Allstate Canada data shows

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MARKHAM, Ontario, Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Winter weather in Canada can present drivers with unique and challenging conditions. In fact, recent collision claims data from Allstate Insurance Company of Canada (“Allstate”) reveals December, January, and November are respectively the top three highest volume months for insurance claims due to a collision. Friday afternoons in December are particularly problematic when the company analyzed its data from the last two years.

    It’s possible the increase in collisions is the result of drivers navigating multiple factors. These can include stress from work near the end of the year, excitement to start the weekend, holiday preparations, fewer daylight hours, slippery roads, reduced visibility, or a combination of factors can create a challenging time for many Canadian drivers.

    “Anyone can get a little rusty from one year to another, and even forget to apply some basic adjustments while at the wheel as the weather becomes colder,” said Odel Laing, Agency Manager at Allstate. “Combine that with a packed holiday schedule and the risk of a collision can rise. We’re releasing this data to help drivers be aware of the increased risks on the road as we approach the end of 2024. The holiday season is busy enough without the added task of dealing with a collision.”

    While not all provinces mandate winter tires, Allstate recommends them. The performance of all-season tires can begin to drop when the temperature is below 7 degrees Celsius, which can affect stopping distances and vehicle control.

    Car Collision Data
    Allstate claims data shows that colder weather conditions contribute to a significant increase in road accidents, for instance:

    • Fridays, followed by Thursdays, are the days of the week with the highest number of incidents that result in customers submitting a claim.
    • December is the worst month for car collisions, followed by January and then November.
    • Half of all incidents (50%) occur in the afternoon, between noon and 6 pm.
    • The three most common reasons for making a collision-related claim are due to rear-end crashes, hit to a parked car, and changing lanes.

    An ‘Annual Learning Curve’ for Canadian Winter Drivers
    Regardless of skill level or how much experience one has on the road, Canadian winters require an adjustment to driving routines year after year. Here are five reminders to put into practice this winter:

    • Keep an eye on weather reports and have winter tires installed before the temperature drops to below 7 degrees Celsius.
    • Slow down and keep a reasonable distance from the vehicle in front of you.
    • Always signal turns and lane changes early so other vehicles know your intentions.
    • Understand your car’s safety systems, but avoid relying on them by practicing defensive driving.
    • Review your car insurance policy and roadside assistance coverage.

    Allstate automotive claims information referenced above is based on internal analysis of data collected from September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2024.

    For more information on collision claims data, visit the Allstate blog.

    About Allstate Insurance Company of Canada
    Allstate Insurance Company of Canada is a leading home and auto insurer focused on providing its customers prevention and protection products and services for every stage of life. Serving Canadians since 1953, Allstate strives to reassure both customers and employees with its “You’re in Good Hands®” promise. Allstate is committed to making a positive difference in the communities in which it operates through partnerships with charitable organizations, employee giving and volunteerism. To learn more, visit www.allstate.ca. For safety tips and advice, visit www.goodhandsadvice.ca.

    For more information, please contact:
    Jessica Hoffeldt
    Agnostic on behalf of Allstate Insurance Company of Canada
    (647) 269-7438
    jhoffeldt@thinkagnostic.com

    Maude Gauthier (Quebec only)
    Capital-Image on behalf of Allstate Insurance Company of Canada
    (514) 915-9469
    mgauthier@capital-image.com

    Chad Heard
    Manager of Public Relations
    (905) 475-4536
    cheard@allstate.ca

    The MIL Network –